Football-loving Ghanaians have been plunged into a state of utter melancholy due to the lackluster performance of the Black stars in recent times. However, in my opinion, it was a very preventable canker which has developed to this level because we failed to nip it in the bud.
Among all sporting disciplines like Boxing,Volleyball,Tennis,Basketball,Athletics,among others;Soccer happens to be the only one which generates the attention of many Ghanaians. As a result,the greatest chunk of our sports budget is sunk into it for obvious reasons. I for one cannot ascertain whether or not these monies are really used to develop the sport, given our recent lack of international standard pitches for international games.
As for our local league,The Ghana Premier League, we can all agree that it has lost the aura it used to carry some years ago.
Considering Ghanaian citizens’ penchant for football,it would be right for anyone to suggest that we manage our Senior National Soccer Team well,even if we can’t do anything right. The sorry state in which we find our football could be easily attributed to sheer laxity,negligence and incompetence. But before we start any blame games or embroil in unnecessary argle-bargle, let’s at least for once “be citizens and not spectators” in the words of the President.
What at all do we seek to achieve at the Africa Cup of Nations if we can’t beat war-torn Sudan? It’s quite pathetic to pen some of these emotions but for the very first time since 2004,Ghana finds itself on the brink of losing out on the most prestigious football tournament on the Continent,AFCON, a sad ordeal right?
How did we even descend so low? What happened to our football? Well, all these are nauseating, yet critical questions we must all ask ourselves. If not for anything at all, throughout my rather young life,I’ve experienced Michael Essien,Stephen Appiah,Asamoah Gyan,Sulley Ali Muntari,Mathew Amoah and other great legends who graced our screens and warmed our hearts with their splendid football skills. Ghana’s first World Cup experience in 2006 remains an indelible mark in my mind. But currently, I don’t think I’ll be wrong to say that I don’t feel too proud of my Blackstars anymore.
We need a total overhaul! From the crescendo to the rank and file. It’s unimaginable to remember that the Blackstars which once stood toe-to-toe with football giants like Germany,Italy,Brazil,Czech Republic and USA, now finds itself wallowing in disgraceful defeats against Comoros, Ethiopia and South Africa. In fact, our recent defeat in the hands of Sudan is the last straw to break the camel’s back.
It’s high time we developed our long abandoned local league because, this is a true reflection of the decay in our general football architecture-and local league is the future and backbone of every national team. Even though I quite agree with those who blame our regrettable losses on coaching bloopers,administration failures,poor player-selection procedures,among others, I believe those rhetorics are needless now. If it will take the Government to intervene for FIFA to ban us, it’s understandable if only that can turn around our fortunes. We can’t watch on for our football to deteriorate. No! Let’s act now before it’s too late.