Editorial: Let’s Pray For The Black Stars

The Catalyst maintains its position that Coach Milovan Rajevac still places his home country, Serbia, ahead of Ghana in his scheme of things at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. His priority is not for Ghana to make it to the next stage of the competition, but Serbia.

We can state without fear or favour that the Serbian born Ghana coach prefers to see his country, which is in the same group as Ghana, qualify to the next round of the ongoing soccer fiesta in South Africa. This, as far as we are concerned, contributed to Ghana’s 1 – 1 drawn game with Australia instead of an outright win over the socceroos on Saturday.

We are of the conviction that with a little bit of technical astuteness from the Ghanaian bench, the deal would have been done and Ghana would been having an easy cruising to the next stage of the competition, the impending Germany clash on Wednesday being only a formality.

Had the Black Stars won over the socceroos, Ghana would have had 6 points that would automatically qualify them to play at the one-sixteenth stage of the competition and the outcome of the game against Germany would be inconsequential. But as it stands now, it could be anybody’s chance as the group is left open after Saturday’s match with Australia.

We have no doubt in our mind that Coach Milo will sacrifice Ghana for Serbia to have their way clear to the next stage of the competition, given the chance. Group D is still open and Serbia are in a very good position with 3 points to qualify to the next round, just like Ghana with 4 points and Germany also with 3, with one march each to go. Australia also picked a point from Saturday’s game with Ghana and have a game on their hands with Serbia. Anything can happen after that march because should they win against Serbia, they would effectively bag four points. That means that to be on the safer side, the least that Ghana requires from Wednesday’s duel against Germany is a win.

Unfortunately, from the look of things, Coach Milo will not care sacrificing Ghana for Serbia to make it. He loves his country more, even though Ghana pays him good money to do a good job.

The ugly spectacle reared its head in the Ghana - Serbia match which Ghana won 1 – 0 when Coach Milo’s countenance betrayed his emotions. Some have tried hard to hold brief for Coach Milo citing patriotism for his country and how difficult a moment it was for him to see Ghana, which he is paid $45,000 a month to coach, defeat his country her world cup debut.

We beg to differ. Coach Milo has a professional responsibility to perform and we hope he will live up to expectation. He loves his country, yes. But we love our country more. That is why we chose him, over our local coaches, to coach our national team irrespective of the huge financial burden we must bear in order to make him happy.

The Catalyst has no doubt that the Black Stars need divine intervention, not because the team is bad, far from it. But so that Coach Milo will not get the opportunity to hang Ghana in favour of his beloved home country after all the huge investment we have made in him to do a professional job.

The Catalyst wishes to implore Ghanaians and all who support Ghana the world over to join hands and pray effectually and fervently for the Black Stars so that we as a country will be able to overcome the difficult situation we find ourselves in South Africa.

May God touch Coach Milo’s heart and head and cause him to do only that which he is supposed to do for Ghana to progress through the stages to the final of the 2010 world cup in South Africa and lift the world cup for Africa for the first time and on African soil just as we did at the under-20 world cup in Egypt last year. God bless our homeland Ghana. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!