AFCON 2021: Ghana’s shocking exit!

Just before the start of AFCON 2021 in Cameroon, many Ghanaians were hopeful that the Black Stars would live up to expectation and surprise the world by winning the cup for the fifth time even though the players were not the most experienced and the best compared with others we have had over the years.

It came out as a shock to many if not all Ghanaians that the Black Stars had to be booted out after only the group stages, having lost to Morocco, drawn with Gabon and humbled by the new sensation island, Comoros. This year’s competition was the most disgraceful for Ghana, especially when Comoros Island defeated the Black Stars and moved on to the next stage of the competition.

The whole world sees Ghana as a great football nation that has always put up splendid performance to win competitive laurels. Failure to win the AFCON 2021 Cup is not really the issue that worries Ghanaians even though the nation would have been happy if the cup had been won. What is very disturbing to Ghanaians is the fact that the Ghana Football Association appears not to be exercising efficient management of football in this country. Many of its members have neglected to play the role of efficient management of tapping and managing football talents at various levels from first, second and third divisions to the Ghana Premier League level as well as the national team level where talented players could be identified and brought together to constitute the best national team to win competitions on the continent and in the world as a whole.

UNFORTUNATE SITUATION

Unfortunately, this has not been the case and many Ghanaians have become disappointed and even lost interest in the ongoing AFCON 2021. This is a very sad situation, indeed.

The truth of the matter is that the game of football is no longer the monopoly of a few countries. Rather, the whole world, through well endowed and less endowed countries, are seriously learning and doing all they can about football, so as to be able to go higher and higher to win laurels.

Gone were the days when countries like Morocco, Ghana, Egypt and a few others were considered masters of the game. Today, less known countries in the area of football have exploited the area and pulled up surprises in competitive football whether at the continental or global level.

SKILLS BY LESS KNOWN COUNTRIES

This explains why Comoros Islands, Gambia, Equatorial Guinea and others have surprised the world with the skills they are displaying in the ongoing AFCON 2021.

There are many things that are wrong with football organisation in Ghana. First of all, the commitment of the GFA is in great doubt and their coach recruitment policy for the national team has not proved to be the best. Coaches are brought in for the national team as and when a few people in the GFA think that particular people ought to be selected to train the Black Stars.

It is becoming clear that this policy will have to be changed. We need to train some of our own nationals to make sure that their Ghanaian identity and pride is always exhibited during football matches at all levels.

GHANAIAN COACHES

In fact, the previous achievements of the Black Stars and the junior national teams came about from coaches who were Ghanaians and committed to the task. In 1982, when the Black Stars won the Africa Cup of Nations for the fourth time, they did not use any foreigner to win the cup.

What is important, therefore, is for Ghana as a nation to develop football pitches all over the country to create opportunities for the young ones to train in the game of football. The current policy of the Ministry of Sports to build facilities in various districts and regions will soon begin to yield good results for the country, so that policy must be implemented.

Apart from the availability of football pitches for training, Ghana needs to also identify younger people throughout the country for competitive football at the various levels. This should not be limited only to men but the females as well.

NUMEROUS FOOTBALL TALENTS

Many people have argued that from what they see in the rural areas, the country abounds in football talents in all the villages and towns throughout. The Ghana Football Association must, therefore, embrace the task of hunting football talents in all parts of the country and grooming them into efficient working force for our Premier League as well as the national teams.

We should not just be happy with what was done yesterday or depend on the past glory of the nation, but strive to attain better things for the good of our motherland. If things are organised better in this way, the nation will soon make use of football stars from both male and female teams and export them to clubs outside to bring in the needed revenue to the country. When talented football stars are facilitated to join foreign clubs, the money they earn would be brought into the country to assist families and friends and thereby help in the promotion of socioeconomic development. At the same time, it will also help to raise the standard of football in all parts of the country.

Since football is the passion of the nation, we need to begin now to reorganise things in a better way to bring in more fruitful results for the overall good of Ghana and its citizens. This can be done so we must encourage the growth of football in all dimensions, so as to make use of talented individuals in that field to create wealth for the country.

PERSONAL TEAMS

It is good to have personal teams owned by members of the GFA. However, if these football teams are owned and used only to serve personal economic interests, then the issue of selfishness comes in.

This is why we must pay attention to the national good and ensure that whatever is done in the area of football goes to serve our national interest. Let all the football administrators go by this principle and more trophies can be won for the country whether at the Africa continental or FIFA level.

Contact email/whatsApp of author:

pradmat2013@gmail.com(0553318911)

By Dr Kofi Amponsah-Bediako