Sports
To err is human…
Richard Atta (left) and Kwame Opare Addo (right), Comunications Director, console Ayi after the game
Two major errors defined the latest Ghana version of the ‘clasico’ as Accra Hearts of Oak lost 2-3 to their bitter rivals, Kumasi Asante Kotoko last Sunday.
One was a disastrous goalkeeping blunder by Hearts goalkeeper, Richard Ayi; resulting in an easy goal that is usually not seen in matches involving the two rivals.
Ayi clearly appeared confused over how to deal with a goal-bound strike and in the midst of that confusion, he parried the ball to the path of a lurking Kotoko player who had the easiest task of banging into a yawning net.
The second were blatant offside calls that were either disregarded by a 22-year-old inexperienced referee, Reginald Collins Amoah, appointed for such a big game. It may also happen that the referee with his Assistant genuinely missed those infringements.
On two occasions, Kotoko players appeared in offside positions in the build-up to the shot that Ayi failed to deal with.
Hearts, after the game, have attempted to discredit the feat of the Porcupine Warriors, calling it a referee assisted win.
Comments like “Kotoko could never have beaten us but for the bad and inconsistent officiating” have been heard from the Phobian corridors.
A few fans have also not spared goalkeeper Ayi the ‘verbal’ rod.
But, perhaps, what seems momentarily lost on disappointed fans is that football is not just a game full of uncertainties. It is also error-strewn.
Even in more advanced leagues such as the English Premier League (EPL) La liga of Spain, Serie A of Italy, Liga Portugal and many others, such errors have become part and parcel of it.
Some of these errors, even with the aid of video assistants, cannot be acceptable but can also not mean the end of the game.
Top coaches like Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool and a few others were handed sanctions for speaking their minds about poor officiating.
Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City charges were handed a strange decision in a game against Tottenham Hotspurs in the English topflight. That decision can be said to have denied City a goal and ultimately the three points.
But Guardiola in his post-match interview indicated that those decisions cannot be the reason why they dropped points because in the cause of play, several other chances were created which were missed due to players’ erroneous judgment.
Ayi and Ref. Amoah may have committed blunders that denied or worsened the plight of the Phobians but that would be no justification for the backlash they have been subjected to.
What should be a matter of concern is the commentaries on the airwaves and various sports channels is the vilification and slanderous comments about the young Ghanaian match official and Richard Ayi.
Instead of the maligning and smearing campaign, fans should be minded about the fact that these are young and promising sports men who have a lot to offer.
Depending on their mental fortitude, some of these disparaging comments can have a negative impact on them and plunge their respective careers into oblivion. It is the reason fans must forgive them and look ahead with the hope that the situation will strengthen them to become the best.
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.
