Sagito
Musah Issakah
Yes, it is true that there are over 20million coaches in Ghana.
There is no doubt about that. Also doubtless is the fact that some of the
football analysts in our country make football analysis that leaves much to be
desired. This short piece is directed at the sports panelists who appear on
Metro Television in particular and other media platforms in general.
These panelists with their host, who we are told, is also
the head of sports at the TV station have been making comments that are not
supposed to be made. They hide behind the concepts of “Being Objective” and
Telling the Truth” to make comments about some Ghanaian players and officials
that are spirit dumping, negative and can only lead to bad things for sports
development in our country.
All of us want the best for our country as far as sports in
general and football in particular is concerned. However, where a person thinks
that he is the only one who loves the country’s football and so can call for
the nation to retire some of the Black Star players who just got knocked out of
the world cup at the quarters stage, then there is the need for us as Ghanaians
to be wary of such a person, lest we sink our football. This guy called Robert
“something”,
a lawyer, is the person I am talking about and he made this unreasonable
comment during the post-match analysis of the Ghana-Uruguay match at the Metro
TV studios. He claims those players are finished with the national team and
needs to be sent away for fresh blood. He is playing the God of these players
and so knows that they have done all they can for the nation and can offer Ghana
nothing meaningful again. He knows the future of these players because he is
their GOD. At least that is what he is implying with the unguarded statement.
This Robert man claimed he was not happy with the elimination
of the Black Star and making it look like Ghanaians in general are happy with
the stage we reached because some are saying that the players have done well. The
host, Christopher Opoku, in support of his colleague, sarcastically decided to
sing the legendary Bob Marley’s song that tells us to “emancipate ourselves
from mental slavery…”, trying to make us feel bad for praising the players for
what they have achieved and for dying a little for their motherland. He also said
that it was an “open secret” that
Ghanaian footballers don’t use their right age and so fizzle out early in their
carrier. What I will like to know from Christopher is why would he want to say
to Ghanaian what is already an open secret. Is it that he wants us to say he is
a truth telling person or what? Why would he want us to know something we have
not said we don’t know? Is it cheap recognition you are trying to get? Funny enough,
there was a former Black Stars player at the studios who kept quiet and did not
react to the unguarded remarks of the two men.
Another question to the “Too Knowing” guys is that ‘does
saying that somebody has done well for putting up a good show with all his/her
efforts even though not achieving the goal, mean that, one is content with the
work done? There is the saying that “man proposes and God disposes”. The players
and all Ghanaian are not happy or content with reaching the quarter finals of
the world cup. Yes, we are not, but that does not mean we crucify the players
(some), when from what we saw on screen, these guys (players) did all they can
to win the much.
Please, Christopher, Robert, Carl, Nana, and the others who
appear on the show, I will want you to know that you are not the only guys who
know football in this country. All these names mentioned have made and continue
to make unguarded statements about some football players in the country and
still claim they are being truthful and objective. On the contrary, they are
lowering morale of players and gradually eliminating some players from the
national team. They hypocritically and shamefully, turn around to praise a
player they have said bad things about, the moment the player scores a goal or play
a part in a good performance of the team.
Football players are professionals in their own right and
work as such. There are times they are not able to do their work as we expect
of them. When that happens, we owe it to ourselves to encourage them to do
their best the next time. This can be done in different ways but to suggest
that the country should retire some of the players just because you think they
have not performed to your satisfaction is going beyond the line.
Some statements coming from some sports panelists are
harmful to the development of the sport in the country and I advice the
Professional Footballers Association to call these guys to order (that is, if
they have that power). The irony of the matter is that most of these panelists
have never kicked a ball in their lives but thinks they can make insulting
comments about players.
My advice to sports panelists in general is that, just as
they make mistakes when making analysis, so the players in the field of play
make mistakes. And just as it isn’t their wish to come and make those mistakes,
the same way players never wished to make mistakes on the field. But mistakes
are inevitable and are a part of the human system.
I leave them with the question, what have they done for
mother Ghana? The answer to this question should be found in the way they talk
on television. That is a clue. They should leave the players alone and let fate
decide for them for they (Robert, Nana, Christopher, Carl) are not God to know
the tomorrow of the players. For all you know, the players they are calling for
their retirements are going to be the top players in their respective clubs the
seasons that are ahead of us. God knows best.
sagitom@yahoo.com
