Sports
Price of failure
The continental flagship football tournament – African Cup of Nations, roars off tomorrow in Cameroon with 24 contingents, including battling for a Holy Grail that carries a mammoth weight of expectation.
All contenders have promised their countrymen a solid show, hoping to put their best foot forward – and with a bit of luck land the gold of glory – after more than three weeks of potentially ferocious exchanges.
Whilst countries have urged their representatives to do their damnedest and plant the sparkles on the faces of their followers, Guinea has decided to adopt a more militant approach.
In a combative mood, Guinea President Colonel Mamady Doumbouya last December warned his players to win the Africa Cup of Nations or be made to pay back the money used to help them prepare for the tournament.
Led by Liverpool star Naby Keitam, the National Elephants– are in Group B alongside Malawi, Senegal, and Zimbabwe for the tournament – which is set to roll of tomorrow, January 9.
Guinea’s best ever finish at an Africa Cup of Nations was recorded in 1976, when they finished runners-up to Morocco in the last edition of the tournament to feature a final group stage.
But military officer Doumbouya – who led a coup d’état by the country’s armed forces against Alpha Conde and his government last September 5 – has laid down a dreadful ultimatum to Kaba Diawara’s men.
“Bring back the trophy or bring back the money we invested in you. Period!” Doumbouya told Soccer 24.
There was an interesting situation too in 2000 where the Ivorian national team was held for three days in a military camp after being eliminated in the first round of the African Cup of Nations. The Elephants had packed down Ghana 2-0, managed a draw against Togo and slumped 3-0 to Cameroon – crashing out of the campaign.
The players, many on lucrative contracts with European clubs, were shown on state-controlled television being forced to conduct military marches and receiving lectures on discipline.
According to the BBC, they were then taken to the capital, Abidjan, for a dressing down from military dictator General Robert Guei.
“I asked that you be taken there so you could reflect a while. You behaved unworthily. You should have avoided us such shame,” General Guei was quoted as saying by the Fraternite Matin newspaper.
“Next time you will stay there for military service. You will be sent to the barracks until a sense of civic pride gets into your heads.”
Certainly, it is not a decent thing to do. It looks all-too weird and draconian. However, sometimes, one is tempted to believe that it is the way to go. Some of these players, paid at the expense of the tax payer; play as if there is absolutely nothing at stake, when millions of people have invested their hearts into them.
Once players decide to take to the pitch in national colours, they have got to prove their patriotism; they have got to give their all – otherwise, they have no business being there in the first place.
For sure, the Black Stars would not be subjected to any such ordeal if they do not annex this coronet. Nevertheless, they owe it a duty to exhibit a high standard of discipline, dedication, hardwork, whole-hearted commitment and valour on the field of play.
This is the only way the players can bring glory to the country and carve out a niche for themselves, too.
By John Vigah
Ghana Premier League side, Nations FC, may have suffered the drop in the just ended Premier League and are destined for a fresh campaign in the Division One League (DOL).
But they stand a huge chance of remaining in the elite stage of the game as they face Dreams FC in an epic MTN FA Cup final at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium tomorrow at 6pm.
Dreams FC have been there before; going ahead to taste the honours in the 2022-23 season after defeating King Faisal.
Coming from a season that saw them crawl from the initial stages of the league to finish on a respectable fourth position, they come in as strong favourites to double their honours in the nation’s second top football competition.
History favours them in this regard. On their first final, they conquered and based on this, connoisseurs of the game have tipped them to make it ‘two-on-two.’
But Nations FC have been empowered by the age-old adage that “He that is down need fear no fall.”
Nothing can be worse than suffering relegation and exiting the limelight as far as exposure is concerned.
But the FA offers a decent opportunity to make them stay relevant.
Conquering Dreams FC would not just make them MTN FA Cup champions. It will grant them the prestigious slot to represent Ghana in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) second tier club competition- the Confederations Cup.
With Dreams FC harbouring the same ambitions, the stage is, therefore, set for a final that promises to be explosive and uncompromising.
The situation of Nations FC might have come to many as a surprise, considering their promising start to the season, with their defence especially, marshalled by Black Stars defender, Razak Simpson, and colleague central defender, Raymond Grippman, earning a lot of reviews.
But despite the struggles they endured at certain times of their campaign, the MTN FA Cup always provided slices of good fortunes as they managed to navigate their way to the final.
Road to the top
Nations FC began the MTN FA Cup competition on a promising note, enjoying some good runs with a win over DOL Zone Two side, Ebony FC, in the Round of 64.
That landed them in a tricky encounter with another high-flying Zone Two candidate, AshantiGold SC, a side that eventually won the title from the zone to qualify to the Premier League, but escaped.
At the round of 16 stage, they encountered and defeated Ghana Premier League side, Swedru All Blacks, 2-1 to gain progression to the quarter final stage where they edged Berekum Chelsea on penalties.
A dicey semi-final awaited them against Aduana FC in Swedru. It was a game Nations was given little chance to escape considering Aduana FC’s form but once again, they conquered to secure a final berth.
In total, the Abrankese-based club have scored eight goals and conceded only two throughout the competition, making them one of the strongest defensive sides in the tournament.
For Dreams FC, they defeated Division One League Zone Three side, Semper Fi, 2-1 to progress to the next stage of the competition where they accounted for Division Two side, Asanska FC, 2-0.
That handed them a quarterfinal berth where they faced Inter Allies and drew one all before winning 4-3 on penalties.
The happiest moment in their success story was a 3-2 semi-final win over GPL winners, Medeama SC.
With that feat, Dreams have been touted as potential winners as the match comes at a time the Nations FC side may be psychologically down over the weight of the challenge they face in the next season.
However, the competition has gain notoriety for not following any form guide and outcomes mostly coming as major surprises.
In this regard, Dreams may be tipped as favourite candidates but though Nations are wounded, the stakes could revive an insatiable desire to apply the brakes to turn the dreams of Dreams FC into a nightmare.
Support
The support from MTN Ghana has no doubt improved competition among the clubs with the attractive incentive packages for participating clubs.
MTN Ghana, which is celebrating 30 years of operations in Ghana, formally became headline sponsors of the Ghana FA Cup in the 2010/2011 football season after the competition had returned from an eight-year hiatus.
The first edition under MTN sponsorship was won by Nania FC, who defeated Asante Kotoko 1–0 in the final at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Since then, the competition has been known as the MTN FA Cup, with MTN renewing its sponsorship several times — in 2013, 2017, 2020 and again for subsequent seasons.
By Andrew Nortey
The Black Stars have opened camp in Cardiff ahead of next week’s international friendly against Wales.
The team is being taken through training drills by head coach Carlos Queiroz.
Thirteen players trained at Dragon Park on Monday, with others expected to join the squad on Tuesday.
They include Ernest Nuamah, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Jordan Ayew, Caleb Yirenkyi, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Elisha Owusu, Gideon Mensah, Marvin Senaya, Jerome Opoku, Benjamin Asare, Joseph Anang, Solomon Agbasi, and Alidu Seidu.
The Black Stars will train in Cardiff for one week ahead of the international friendly against Wales on Tuesday, June 2, before traveling to the United States of America.
Coach Carlos Queiroz will use the period to assess his players before naming his final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Twenty-six players will be submitted to FIFA on Monday, June 1, as mandated by the competition regulations.
The Black Stars are drawn in Group L with Panama, England, and Croatia. They will open their World Cup campaign against Panama on June 17 in Toronto before facing England and Croatia in their other group matches.
