Sports
Stars’ Qatar glory hinges on loyalty
IT is nearly a dozen days since Ghana’s Black Stars stunned a star-studded overrated Nigeria’s Super Eagles to qualify for their fourth FIFA World Cup tournament.
Against all the odds heavily stacked against them, the Stars soared to the challenge – fought tooth-and-nail, and held Nigeria’s Super Eagles to an energy-sapping 1-1 draw in the 60,000-plus capacity MKO Abuja Sports Stadium.
Having earlier played out a barren game in the first leg of the Qatar World Cup play-off in Kumasi, the Stars delightfully qualified via the away-goal rule.
It was downright shock to the Abuja fans who thought they had no choice than vent their spleen on facilities at the MKO stadium – vandalising everything in sight. Though highly unfortunate, sometimes that is the extreme football can travel.
Well, as Nigerians continue to count their cost, it is high time we got down to brass tack as regards sending a formidable team to Qatar whose tournament starts this November 21.
On Friday, Ghana was thrown into a tight Group H of a Qatar 2022 World Cup that includes Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Luis Suarez’s Uruguay as well as South Korea.
Indeed, we have barely seven months to prepare for a tournament which should see us putting right the wrongs of Brazil 2014 where Ghana became a laughing stock because of the team’s internal wrangling.
Ghana’s Brazil squad had everything in talent and technique but commitment and patriotism.
Truth is, money got the better of them as they totally forgot why they were at the tournament.
Whilst we congratulate the team once again for flushing out Nigeria out of their way, the technical team – spearheaded by Otto Addo would now have to turn attention on getting players who are ready, loyal and committed to play for the country. We do not have time pleading with players to don their own national colours.
One thing that has haunted our game over the years is getting half-baked, uncommitted and less patriotic entities into the national team. Such players are all-too ready to cry wolf, even when there is no dog; and they make trouble at the slightest faux pas.
Let be known to our national team selectors that we are not going to Qatar just to make the numbers; we are storming there to carve a niche for ourselves and for African football.
Already, because of the brave display of the boys in their last two qualifiers, a number of revered football icons including Nigeria’s Jay Jay Okocha have tipped the Stars as one of the teams to look out for. Great Scott!
As such, we need players who would play as champions – demonstrating lots of passion and desire; and be prepared to die on the pitch rather than throw up hands in despair.
Heartily, a good number of the present Ghana contingent has copiously demonstrated some great derring-do and a character that suggest they can defend the national flag with their last drop of blood. That is the way to go!
However, one department that is of great concern to most Ghanaians is the forwardline and our technical team must as a matter of urgency find a way of cutting that Gordian knot. To say the team must be beefed up is stating the obvious.
Mention has been made of a couple of players including Spanish-born Ghanaian forward Inaki Williams Arthur, who plays for Atletic Bilbao. He is a pure terror in attack who would give opposing defence real torment to deal with if we are fortunate to get him into our fold.
Born to a Ghanaian father and a Liberian mother, the 28-year-old Arthur is a holder of multiple citizenships which makes him eligible to play for Ghana. Several failed attempts by the GFA to convince him to switch nationality, however, have hit a snag. This time, Iñaki may have changed his mind, following Ghana’s qualification for the World Cup.
One other issue that is of grave concern is talk of revenge on Uruguay. There is nothing to revenge!
We should rather concentrate on our preparation and stop being emotional about what happened in South Africa 2010. If we put this revenge thing into the minds of our boys, we might be humiliated by Uruguay and crash home after the group stage.
Indeed, care must be taken so that we do not exert all our energy on beating Uruguay and slumping in the other games that are equally tough. We must take every game as a final and that is the surest way of making it to the Round of 16
Obviously, we are not going to Qatar because of Uruguay. We must go there and entertain the world with our deluxe football as well as qualify from the group.
It is true that Uruguay were responsible for Ghana’s quarter-final exit at the 2010 World Cup when their star player Luis Suarez scooped a last-gasp goal-bound ball from the net. But the referee subsequently gave us a spot-kick for that ‘sin’ – and it was squandered by top goal-poacher Asamoah Gyan. Ghana consequently lost the ensuing shoot-out after the extra-time failed to produce a winner.
Let us not forget we have Portugal and South Korea to deal with in the group. The two are equally combatively blistering battles.
What we need now is focus and getting our preparations right. The Black Stars will shine again, but it would all depend on us.
PlainTalk With John Vigah
Attention will be at the Golden City Park in Berekum tomorrow as Hearts of Oak lock horns with Berekum Chelsea FC in a Ghana Premier League Matchday 6 game that promises an electrifying atmosphere.
Lying sixth on the league table with two wins and three draws, the Phobians visit a ground that has been favourable to them in recent times. In their last three visits to the Golden City Park, Hearts have amassed seven out of nine points, putting them in strong contention to win.
Head Coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani says, “The team is making progress in its tactical identity despite the lack of goals, and this is something we are working on ahead of this game.”
Hearts will come face-to-face with former coach Samuel Boadu, whose side lies a distant 13th on the league table with a win and a draw from four games. Coach Boadu is yet to celebrate a victory over the Phobians since joining the Berekum lads and would hope this fixture marks a turnaround.
Ninth-placed Vision FC would trek to the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park in Bechem to play Bechem United, while new boys Hohoe United host Aduana FC at the Hohoe Sports Stadium.
Returnees Swedru All Blacks will welcome Basake Holy Stars to the Swedru Sports Stadium, with defending league champions Bibiani Gold Stars staying put at their backyard, the Dun’s Park, to welcome second-placed Heart of Lions FC on Monday.
Today at the TnA Stadium in Tarkwa, Medeama SC will clash with Samartex FC in a Western derby. Other games scheduled for today would see Eleven Wonders FC host Karela United at the Swedru Sports Stadium, while Dreams FC face Nations FC at the Tuba Astro Turf.
By Raymond Ackumey
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Ghana coach Otto Addo may not command the kind of fear and respect like Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Luis Enrique and others in the modern game, but in his small corner, he is gradually climbing the ladder to greatness in Ghana, Africa and the world at large.
The aforementioned coaches attained greatness with club sides and, therefore, open an argument over whether one is not comparing apples to oranges. But no matter how one looks at it, they are all coaches harbouring similar ambitions to attain greatness in their fields.
Otto Addo is one of the young and upcoming coaches holding a lot of promise and was getting experience with his association with Borussia Dortmund in Germany until his path was directed by a Ghana call.
Although he was born in Germany, Otto Addo’s association with Ghana football dates back to 1999, spanning a period of about seven years; commencing with a 5–0 rout of Eritrea on February 28. He gained international prominence when he joined the squad for the 2000 African Cup of Nations. He featured as a midfielder in the team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
But like it’s often said, a prophet is not recognised in his own home and his efforts partially went unnoticed. He’ll go into the annals as one of the Black Stars coaches to have been fairly or otherwise criticised not just by ‘football people’ but fans who doubted him.
His sack has been discussed at various platforms by people whose knowledge and tactical acumen about the game remains questionable. Ghana’s Minister for Sports and Recreation, Mr Kofi Adams, at one point openly stated his doubts over Otto Addo’s ability to actually deliver.
No coach would feel secured in such turbulent times, but coach Otto Addo kept his calm and composure. On the corridors of his employers, however, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) president, Kurt Okraku, openly rallied support for him, though a few ‘doubting Thomases’ still questioned his credentials.
That painted a picture of a people that forget easily and are quick to crucify. In a brief moment of adversity, Ghanaians forgot how Otto Addo was brought in to pluck qualification for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup from the jaws of the Super Eagles of Nigeria with a solitary goal over two legs.
The upshot of that feat was not one any Nigerian would want to remember. The scenes after the match were awfully chaotic, as fans vented their anger on facilities at the stadium. Back in Ghana, it was partying all night and day.
Otto Addo was labeled the football magician. He achieved something no Ghanaian coach had ever accomplished; a feat which Ghana with her all-time best teams could not attain. That was the climax to which Otto Addo took Ghana football, generating calls to start believing in the Ghanaian coach.
Following that to the World Cup proper was another story altogether. It was, or may have been, our poorest show at any of the four World Cup appearances. And just as it was stipulated in his contract, he bowed out after the Qatar World Cup to mind his Borussia Dortmund business with peace.
But as fate would have it, nature found a way to renew his romance with Ghana football after an unconvincing start to the America, Canada and Mexico dream World Cup under special advisor turned coach, Chris Hughton.
Ghana started the qualifiers on a winning note but not a convincing performance. It was saved by an Inaki Williams goal scored on the sixth minute of additional time against Madagascar at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium. The Black Stars then slumped to a 1-0 defeat at the Stade de Moroni to Comoros to heighten calls for a new technical direction.
Then stepped in Otto Addo when Ghana occupied the fourth position in Group I with three points but with the countries in the group evenly matched.
By Andrew Nortey
