By Ken Bediako
“And to add confusion to disbelief”. This was how my idol sportswriter Peter Wilson of the London Daily Mirror described the decision of GBA President Prince Yao Boateng who unilaterally reversed the judges’ verdict. It was in the controversial world featherweight boxing title fight between Ghana’s Floyd Robertson and Sugar Ramos of Cuba in Accra in 1964 when Robertson was robbed of a clear victory.
I hold that as the nation is yet to overcome the Black Stars shocking early exit from Afcon 21, GFA boss Kurt Okraku is adding confusion to disbelief by his bold declaration that he still had confidence in Coach Milovan. This clearly must be a sick joke and it is heart-warming that the Ministry of Sports has stepped in to stop the rot and asked the GFA to think again.
The polite advice to the GFA to review the Stars technical bench is a step in the right direction. I hope the so-called football people won’t call this interference.
The football people at the helm of affairs took a big gamble in resurrecting a dormant Serbian to handle an ill prepared team. They have lost the gamble big time and must be made to suffer the consequences.
It’s not the ideal thing in football to be changing technicians like face masks. Indeed, my immediate reaction after the Cameroon debacle was that Milo should be given a chance to complete his World Cup qualifiers assignment. I did not like the idea of Ghana paying huge compensations for his dismissal and no work done. But as things stand now with many Ghanaians losing trust in Milo, the nation would have to bite the bullet and with permission of Finance ministry dish out additional funds to prepare the Black Stars for the World Cup tournament.
Since we are on a review crusade, FA management will also take a keen look into how players are selected to form the Black Stars. The net should be spread to cover certain outstanding players in the local league. There appears to be too much emphasis on foreign based players.
A friend remarked in a radio discussion that former Kotoko goalkeeper Abalora would soon be recalled to the Black Stars now that he is foreign based in Spain. This is not funny. Let’s all be serious with this all-important team building and drop petty squabbles and accusations of people having an agenda to destroy some particular football administrators.
Football is a game of passion and we need cool heads to inspire us to reach the top.
Let us keep in mind we are hosting the Africa Games next year and we need the right atmosphere to make the occasion grand and memorable.
Cameroon have so far displayed a rich sporting atmosphere and Ghana would have to follow suit.
Cheers everybody and keep loving Sports.
