Traditional priest, Nana Kwaku Bonsam, has expressed his concerns over how some players in the Black Stars are treated when issues arise in the team.
He stated that the way the technical team took away the captaincy from retired footballer Asamoah Gyan and later Andre Dede Ayew does not show respect to these players who sacrificed themselves for the nation.
In the case of Dede Ayew, the traditional priest argued that he could have been part of the team to motivate the players even if he is benched and not the captain, to honor his legacy.
Kwaku Bonsam indicated that these acts contribute to the recent woes of the Black Stars, which go beyond players’ performances.
“The way the Black Stars are managed, like sacking players and taking captaincy from others, is not good and is affecting the team. How Asamoah Gyan’s captaincy was taken from him was wrong.
"The same thing applies to Dede Ayew. Even if we won’t let him be the captain, he should be on the bench because his presence alone motivates and puts pressure on the players,” he said in Twi during an interview with Accra FM.
During the tenure of James Kwasi Appiah as Black Stars head coach, Gyan’s captaincy was handed to Dede Ayew, an act which generated a lot of controversy.
Recently, coach Otto Addo named Thomas Partey as the Black Stars captain following the absence of Ayew in the team.
It is worth noting that it has not been confirmed that Dede Ayew is no longer the substantive captain of the team.
Watch the video below:
Watch the latest edition of Weekend Sports Recap below:
SB/EK