Ghana's "do well" AFCON 2015 target is mediocre

"Am saying the team doesn't even enjoy the massive support of the Ghanaians and for you to win a cup you need maximum support so AFCON 2015 [trophy] is not a realistic target" these are the words of newly appointed Black Stars Management Committee George Afriyie.

But hold on a minute. If winning next year's AFCON is unrealistic I wonder what is realistic? A team that has finished in the semi-finals of the last four editions of the Nations Cup including a final berth in 2010 cannot be denied the right to expect to win the first silverware in three decades! And for the Ghana Football Association President Kwesi Nyantakyi to set a “Do well” bench mark for new Coach Avram Grant is to lower the standards for a coach deemed to competent. I think it's horrifying that all of sudden Avram Grant seems to have won himself an army of assistant coaches and spokespersons who are doing a far better job than what the most critiqued English interpreter did for his former boss- Milovan Rajevac.

The FA's new campaign to have Ghanaians believe the current Black Stars squad is totally incapable of superseding their performances in the past just is completely unacceptable.

After four AFCON successes 1965, 1968, 1978, 1982 Ghanaians have suffered a silverware drought for three decades and naturally fans expect another trophy badly but the FA has dealt with that trophy thirst rather skilfully.

It makes sense. Doesn't it? After all the flak the FA received when the team failed to win the AFCON in 2012 in Equatorial Guinea and South Africa last year it is only natural the FA will approach next year's tourney this way.

But the fear of failure should not drive them to settle for mediocrity. Avram Grant assumed the Black Stars job knowing fully well the calibre of the Black Stars and the immediate AFCON challenge ahead of him. If the FA's interviews were as thorough as they want us to be believe, it only goes without saying Grant was told about the demands of the Job.

I will be scandalized and am almost, if the FA were not explicit in what they demanded from the coach following the true history of a country whose target a few months back was to win the AFCON in South Africa.

The former Chelsea Coach needs no reminder about the hazards of his job and may obviously have factored into his remuneration, the high risk nature of his job, including a probable firing in the shortest possible.

He is believed to be taking about US$50,000 per month with a signing on fee of US$200,000 glossed with endless clauses in his contract.

For those who have been deceived into thinking the Black Stars squad is the worst ever, I wonder what you made of Milovan Rajevac's AFCON 2010 team ahead of the showpiece in Angola.

Quick reminder if you have forgotten the crop of Black Stars players then. It was jaded than this one was; plagued with injuries and had remnants of the 2008 squad that annexed bronze in Kumasi. But the question of how to knit the team was solely answered by the man at the helm who drafted majority of the World cup winning Under 20 side into the Black Stars and despite huge criticism surpassed all and lost only just to Super AFCON giants Egypt in the grand finale.

Milovan Rajevac met a pretty abysmal Black Stars that needed fixing and took no time in deciding the next course of action which was gutsy, and out of the box!!YES!

Six members of the 2009 Under 20 World cup winning team in Agyemang Badu ,Opoku Agyemang, Dede Ayew, Samuel Inkoom, Dominic Adiyah and Goalkeeper Daniel Agyei were drafted in, alongside Berekum Chelsea's Lee Addy.

The prelude to the 2010 campaign in Angola, was full of criticism but Milo was rewarded for his bravery. It is good to welcome Avram Grant but the fact is, no one will do his job for him even if the "self-seeking allies" attempt to exaggerate the challenging situation Grant finds himself in.

Rajevac's bravery and more is what Grant needs to succeed but that is no business of the FA.

Their duty was to appoint and leave it at that. Besides, if Avram Grant was uncomfortable with the situation he could walk away or sing his own tune . The Black Stars like any other institution or individual need energy sapping targets going into competitions and I find it hard to believe that FA president, Kwasi Nyantakyi weeks after the 2014 world Cup told the media at their" infamous" Press conference at the Alisa Hotel, that former Coach Kwesi Appiah had been tasked to win the 2015 AFCON in Morocco on his reappointment.

So Mr. President what changed??I know it's the venue -now Equatorial Guinea-but has the team deteriorated that much in less than four months? Yet good enough to qualify? And if Ghana amongst the pool of 15 other qualified teams he has a target of doing "well" I wonder what the likes of Congo, Cape Verde, no disrespect to them- should be looking forward to doing. The reference to the team building by World Champions Germany is interesting.

YES! the World giants had a consistent and well worked out plan to produce talents and ultimately see the entirety of their game improve but note, they never went into a tournament without a target. The "Do well "banner currently being hoisted by the FA is to prevent necessary harassment and critique if this team fails in Equatorial Guinea.

I have no qualms with a scheme to do that but why pamper a coach who has taken upon himself a silverware hungry team with distraught supporters and also after an uneventful world cup.

Ghanaians will not be fooled into accepting any performance as good. The FA can choose to suit themselves with what they mean by "do well at the AFCON".

The official AFCON 2015 draw revealed its Ghana, Senegal, and former winners Algeria, South Africa in Group C, and I reckon it's a perfect recipe to curtail explosive reactions of Ghanaians, in the event the Black Stars exit the competition at the group stage.

I was excited at the comments passed by the Minister of Sports Mahama Ayariga and his assistant when they met the Israeli manager. They drummed home what Ghanaian football loving fans expect from a certain Avram Grant -who is going to feature prominently in government's expenditure until he resigns or fired.

The catch word was Win! Win! the AFCON! We will decide what to do with you beyond AFCON, but you can't afford to fail! The New Black Stars management committee chairman, George Afriyie must quickly galvanized his team and deliver them from their current state of mind to understand that handling Ghana at the AFCON, is just like handling Brazil at the World Cup.

It doesn't mean we must win always, but we must continue to push ourselves no matter who and under which circumstances. In case you forgot our perpetual target for AFCON, here's a reminder, it's win it target. We can't entertain a "do well ".

Anyway why do the FA think winning the 2017 AFCON will be any easier?

Make hay whilst the sun shines! I think its shinning!