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Weight of fans expectation
Andre-Ayew
Wearing a national team jersey is a footballer or by extension, any sports athlete’s biggest moment of pride.
The message is clear when footballers appear on the field of play dressed immaculately in the attire of the national team – they are the best among the lot.
There can’t be any greater gratification than that; and it is the height every footballer of athlete aim to attain.
At international podiums where players or athletes line-up for national anthems of their countries to be played, one sees the emotions of such players which sometimes transcends to the over 40,000 ‘mouth mouth’ coaches gathered to not just enjoy a beautiful game of football but also analyse and judge what players and coaches are not getting well.
The pinnacle of this passion can be observed in the players’ facial expression and their own rendition of the anthems.
It even makes the fan momentarily think he is also a footballer and often seen jog or run around after the anthem.
After these pre-match formalities, fans occupy their seats and begin to enjoy their popcorns, ‘Suya’ and ‘khebabs’ with other accompaniments.
However, that marks the beginning of 90 minutes of intense action for the players with a huge weight of expectation to deliver.
Many a time, this weight of expectation on the players is usually downplayed by the fans who feels winning games at all cost is a right.
And, especially in the case of Ghana which is considered a powerhouse, wins must even come in a certain way.
Having become acquainted with dominant performances ending with cricket scores, especially against continental minnows, a narrow win like 1-0 or 2-1 is considered unacceptable.
But a recent interview granted by Black Stars skipper, Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew in France has brought to the fore the effects of those high expectation on the players who wear the national team jerseys.
In the reported interview with Canal+, he highlighted the gravity of being part of the Black Stars team and tagged the Ghanaian jersey as a ‘heavy one.’
Ayew may be right on this assertion and could even be something previous captains have stayed with over the years but never mustered the courage to spew them out.
But in building a strong formidable team capable of meeting the expectation of the fans, it is important to have a group of players who can overcome the ‘weight’ that comes with wearing the national team jersey.
Pressure with national teams are not only associated with the Black Stars. It is a global concern among players which interestingly or fortunately doesn’t affect their interest in donning the ‘heavy’ jersey.
Demanding positive results from national teams is not a bad practice and fans would not change their stance on that.
However, like Ayew indicated in the interview, “The players must get used to it by understanding what it means to wear this jersey, which means a lot to millions of people. The jersey is ‘very heavy’ to wear and you need to have broad shoulders. I know we will bounce back. We are going through a bad time but we will get through this, I am sure.”
Perhaps, as the Black Stars get ready to commence qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the back of their poor showing at the 2023 AFCON, this expectation of fans and the ability to overcome it will keep ringing in their ears to remind the huge responsibility on their shoulders.
By Andrew Nortey
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NHIA set to boost its cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in partnership with a leading private cybersecurity solutions provider in Ghana, CyberHawk Limited, is advancing the Authority’s digital infrastructure to ensure seamless operations.
This is to safeguard the Authority’s digital technologies and maintain the trust of active members of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
In this context, the NHIA Management Information System (MIS) Directorate in the Head Office, on February 11, 2024, launched a three-day brainstorming session on the organization’s cybersecurity enhancement agenda.
The MIS Directorate Ag. Director, Mr. Daniel Blankson explained that the collaborative meeting aimed to scrutinize the NHIA’s Information Technology architecture, identifying potential risks and gapsto enhance its cybersecurity posture.
“By leveraging CyberHawk Limited’s expertise, the NHIA seeks to fortify its defenses against cyber threats, protecting sensitive information and maintaining the trust of its members.”
Mr. Blankson applauded the synergy between the two organizations and underscored the Authority’s commitment to embracing cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to drive its mission forward.
The Head of Information Security and Standards Unit, in the MIS Directorate, Mr. Ebenezer Hooper, highlighted the Authority’s significant milestone on the digital transformation journey.
According to him, the NHIA is actively engaged in fully adopting and implementing modern digital systems to improve its operations.
He said, “The three-day brainstorming meeting will culminate in the development of a robust IT infrastructure, as well as strategic plans to translate security implementations into tangible IT cost savings for the organization.”
“There is the need to form a steering committee or IT advisory committee, operated under the Board, so that they can pay more attention in protecting the huge IT investment while ensuring cyber security-related policies are well protected,” he added.
The Project Manager of CyberHawk Limited, Mr. Chetan Narayana Murthy, lauded the collaboration and anticipated that it would empower the NHIA to implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures.
According to him, “This is a huge project that will greatly benefit the NHIA by implementing robust cybersecurity measures, safeguarding their systems, and ultimately protecting the sensitive information of NHIA members and healthcare providers.”
A Senior Manager of IT infrastructure, Mr. David Asare Addo, and his colleague, a Senior Manager of Applications, Mr. Enock Afanyi, with the MIS Directorate, gave an overview of the NHIA’s current technological landscape.
Present at the meeting were representatives from the Claims, Membership and Regional Operations (MRO), Research, Policy, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RPME), Corporate Affairs, the Audit, Administration, and Human Resource Directorates.
Story By : Vivian Arthur
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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
