Sports
Doomsday of Ghana football
Otto Addo – Stars coach
Pairing Ghana’s Black Stars in the same qualifying group with Angola, Sudan and Niger brought joy to football lovers.
Judging the standards of the Black Stars on the continent, there was not a single doubt about Ghana’s ability to snatch one of the two slots for the Morocco AFCON.
What, perhaps might not be certain was whether they would top the group or take the second spot.
But considering the Black Stars pedigree, a second place in the group would be considered to have happened under unexpected circumstances.
No prophet of the land predicted otherwise. Ghanaians were united over how the qualifiers would end.
Counting some months after, Ghanaians have witnessed football’s doomsday as the favourites complete six qualifying games without a win. It is surely the lowest to which the nation’s pride can sink.
After a disastrous draw with Niger on opening day of qualifiers, the Black Stars lost their first home game to Angola in Kumasi and drew with Sudan to end the first round with two points.
Three days later, a Sudanese team guided by a former Black Stars trainer, James Kwesi Appiah, masterminded a historic feat over the Ghanaians, leaving them with a tall mountain to climb to Morocco.
The Black Stars under Coach Otto Addo were left with the huge task of winning their last two games against Angola and Niger and hope Sudan drop all points in matches against the same sides.
The question on the lips of many, then, was even more about the Stars ability to win those two matches than where and how Sudan would let this opportunity presented them in over 12 years slip through their fingers.
When the time came for the last two matches, indeed, Sudan lost the first match; crashing to a 4-0 defeat to Niger. The ball was then in the court of the Black Stars to prove they have the wherewithal to cause what would have been one of the greatest comebacks in AFCON qualifiers.
Face to face with Angola, the Black Stars were held to a 1-1 draw to dash any hope of that comeback.
The final clash with Niger was therefore reduced to a mere academic exercise, one for pride and all expected the Black Stars to shine to seal a third position.
Sadly, that confirmed Ghana’s unimaginable football decline as the Black Stars suffered a 2-1 defeat to Niger at the Accra Sports Stadium.
From that moment, the conversation has been on what the contributory factors to this free fall could be and find ways to address them.
That line of conversation has put Ghana Football Association and its leadership as well as Coach Otto Addo on the firing line with all manner of invectives directed at them.
Others have expressed opinions that players were also to blame for the disappointing outcomes.
The three, however, cannot escape blame in how disappointing and unattractive the Black Stars, four-time AFCON winners, have become lately.
Coach Addo inspired hope when he led a hurriedly arranged technical team to guide the Black Stars in a two-legged face-off with Nigeria.
After securing the World Cup ticket, Addo led the Black Stars to the Qatar World Cup where the Stars put up another shambolic performance and failed to progress from the group stage.
As if that was not a good signal, a search committee formed by the FA settled on him again and was specifically tasked to qualify the team for the 2025 AFCON and the next World Cup.
At the moment, it appears Ghanaian have no confidence in Addo again, may be except the FA.
After the Niger debacle, many prayed and hoped that they would wake up the following to read or hear about the resignation of the coach and his technical team or the FA hierarchy bowing out.
Rather, what was witnessed was the typical Ghanaian attitude of holding on to straws even when the storm is very tumultuous.
Ghanaians have been asked to be calm because what has happened was not what was bargained for and that it is with cool heads that Ghana can overcome the football crisis.
The kind of players available to the team also leaves much to be desired, let alone the discipline and character they show on the field.
Ghanaians watch some of these players in top leagues across the world and know what they can bring to the table. However, they are given the chance to play for the national team and they behave like boys who have just been introduced to the sport.
Otto Addo’s future remains unclear as of now but if he were to remain in charge, he must take a second look at the players he invites to play for the national team.
The year 2025 is just around the corner. That will come with the resumption of World Cup qualifiers. What that means is that there is no time to waste.
Preparation must start in earnest but in doing so, Addo must ensure he assembles the very best and not those that they want to try because they are connected to top officials on the corridors of power.
By Andrew Nortey
Sports
A welcome elections respite
Ghanaians of voting age would be expected to participate in today’s Presidential and Parliamentary Elections to be held in every district, metropolis, constituency and region of the country.
It is such a very important exercise no fanatic of politics would want to miss due to the quest to have favourite political groupings to wrestle power.
Elections in Ghana for close to three decades have been about two of the biggest political parties in Ghana – that is, the New Patriotic Part (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In between the spaces, a few ‘mushroom’ political groupings have attempted the unthinkable but lived to experience outcomes that questions the rationale behind decisions to even contest.
It is not as if they were unaware of those shocks – they knew perfectly well.
Not even the great Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) has managed to break the duopoly the NPP and NDC dominance.
Such is the importance followers of the two parties attach to their respective political parties’ capture power to remain in the helm of affairs as far as development of the country goes on.
Today, the importance of the elections would be felt across the various divides and sectors including sports.
The volatile nature of the exercise has required a suspension of most sports related activities across the country in the various divisions.
Officially, there have not been any formal communication to that effect from sports like boxing, athletics, tennis, golf and others with the aptitude to command the masses.
However, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has officially announced a week break for all members, all of its competitions.
The break is to enable all football stakeholders to perform their civic duties in today’s general election.
What this mean is that the Ghana Premier League (GPL), the Access Bank Division One League (DOL), the Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League (WPL), and all other competitions will take a week’s break.
Apart from enabling people to honour their civic responsibilities, the elections break also provide a welcome relief for the GFA, the Black Stars, Coach Otto Addo and local boxing icon, Ayitey Powers, whose promotional outfit has come under fire for nuisances associated with his promotions.
Starting with Powers, the least said about the confusion generated from his promotions leaves much to be enthused about and not good enough for a young promotional outfit.
Fortunately, his last two promotions have been the biggest – first staging the ‘Power of the Fist’ on June 29 at the Bukom Boxing Arena and headlined by a National Super Middleweight Championship, involving Elvis Aworgah, popularly known as ‘Soldier’ and Ernest Baubali.
Powers staged another big event the last two weekends, which just like the aforementioned event, ended on a controversial after confusion whether the main event was a championship or an eight-rounder.
That caused an abrupt end to an event that had guests spending over 12 hours at the arena.
It left enormous question marks over Power’s promotional integrity and the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) ability to ensure boxing is handled professionally as boxers report very late for promotions while fans are compel to sit and wait for extra hours.
The break will also, surely offer some breather to the GFA and Coach Otto Addo who have been on firing line since the Black Stars failed to qualified for AFCON 2025 in Morocco.
Addo had guided the Black Stars in one of the team’s worst campaigns in AFCON qualifying history, emerging winless in six games played against Angola, Sudan and Niger as all three countries beat and drew with the Black Stars.
The FA has since come under intense pressure to take a decision of the future of Coach Otto Addo who indicated he was going nowhere despite an overwhelming call by fans to quit.
But it appears all those issues have been buried under the carpet while Ghanaians look forward to either give the NPP an unprecedented third term with Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, in the saddle or hand the baton over to NDC as former President, John Dramani Mahama, wait patiently to continue with the race.
But assuredly, those issues that remain undigested would not be kept under the carpet forever; as long as there would be life after elections, Insha Allah, football and boxing fanatic would be back to exhaust all.
By Andrew Nortey
Sports
MTN FA Cup thrills: Hearts to slug it out with Immigration FC at Pobiman
Record holders of the MTN FA Cup, Accra Hearts of Oak, will tomorrow begin their journey to another conquest when they welcome Division One League (DOL) side, Immigration FC, to the Pobiman Sports Complex for the round of 64 clash.
The Phobians will be going into the game with memories of that painful loss to Nania FC from the same division last season.
With many focusing their attention on their “El-Clasico” game against bitter rivals, Asante Kotoko, on December 15 in Kumasi, chieftains at the club would be hoping Coach Aboubakar Ouattara and his charges would guard against complacency in this game.
Immigration FC have proven to be tough customers in their away matches, having already trekked to the Ho Sports Stadium to blow away home side, Dynamo FC, at the preliminary stage game.
What remains to be seen is whether they can replicate that fine form against the record holders.
Defending champions, Nsoatreman FC, will look to start their journey to retain the title when they welcome Division One League side, Techiman Heroes, to the Nana Amoah Kronmansah II Park in Nsoatre tomorrow, while Asante Kotoko line up against lower side, Future Stars, at the Len Clay Stadium in Obuasi.
In other games today, the WAFA Park in Sogakope will host the clash between Agbozome Weavers and Accra Lions, African Talent will stay put at the Blue Sky Pelican Park in Doboro to host Kotoku Shining Stars, while Northern City take on Wa Sore Nante at the Aliu Mahama Stadium in Tamale.
Wa Power FC will welcome Tamale City to the Malik Jabir Stadium, King Faisal will host Asokwa Deportivo at the Ejisu Okese Park, Nations FC will visit the Len Clay Stadium to play as guest of New Edubiase at the WESCO Park in Kumasi, Acceleere82 will face Sefwi All Stars, Malima FC and TF Exponential FC will sort things out at the Tumu Astro Turf with the Bekwai Gyamfi Park hosting the clash between Bekwai Heroes and PAC Academy.
The rest of the matches will see Real 24Hours play Karela United, Berekum Chelsea host Boresa FC, Debibi United take on KAC Soccer Academy, Aduana Stars host Dormaa Unity, Techiman Liberty host Bofoakwa Tano, while Young Apostles come up against Techiman Eleven Wonders.
Sky FC will face Wise, Nzema Kotoko will face Medeama SC, Nsuopon Fidelity come face to face with Elmina Sharks, Ebusua Dwarfs slug it out with Soccer Intellectual while Baseke Holy Stars engage Gap Soccer Academy.
Also, Samartex FC will engage Bibiani Gold Stars, Dreams FC against Heart of Lions, WAFA go face to face with Golden Kicks, Na God FC oblige Nania FC, True Democracy against Koforidua Sempi FI, while Danbort FC play Vision FC.
By Raymond Ackumey
