Our GFA in hot soup?
Since the end of the 31st edition of the Africa Cup of Nations Cup ( AFCON), the Kwesi Nyantakyi GFA has been put on the front-burner in most media criticisms. The tournament was won by the Indomitable Lions of Cameroun, with our Black Stars in the fourth position among 16 national clubs.
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The critics cannot bring themselves to understand why our Black Stars have virtually been to almost every tournament since 1984 and they have not been able to win and bring the trophy home. In other words, they are distressed that for 45 years now, our national team has not taken the first position.
The critics are not only bitter, some of them are calling for what they describe as a REVOLUTION. They are actually campaigning for a red-band demonstration in some principal streets. There are even some calls on President Akufo Addo to lead the revolution to change the leadership of the GFA.
One critic pointed out that as a nation, we have spent a lot of money on the Black Stars participation in international tournaments but have seen nothing. Unfortunately, the critics on the radio programme I listened to were all anti Nyantakyi/GFA agents. That gave them a field day and even a phone- in by a divergent voice could not help matters.
The fact is the defeat of our Black Stars, especially by the Burkinabe national team, was a painful one to many Ghanaians but the problem I see is that we are not being level headed in some of our criticisms.
There are about 52 countries on the African continent. Out of them, 16 them have to emerge as the final number of the tournament. This shows that it is even a great achievement to qualify to be among the 16.
The critics agree that for the past 12 years that the Nyantakyi/GFA has superintended on the affairs of Ghana football, our Black Stars have qualified to be among the 16 teams and what is more, they have always been among the last four. That is at the semi-finals stage and so by deductions, they have either been in the second, third or fourth position.
What would anyone criticise or frown about when his child is always among the top four in a class of 52. Unless that class is by its nature a bad one populated by dull and very poor students, that child should be a good one.
Yes, it is good to be in the first position. But my feeling is that I would always be proud and indeed very proud of my child who always manages to be among the top-four in his class.
There are so many national teams that have not qualified to take part in the AFCON on two conservative times or occasions and there are many otherwise very strong African football nations who have never won the tournament.
Algeria and Senegal readily come to mind and their governments always spend a lot of money on them to play to qualify and participate in the tournament.
Outside the African region, the story repeats itself. The British pride themselves as those who introduced the game of football into the world. They have very good footballers and administrators. They are almost always participating in the World Cup but we all know the number of times they have actually won the World Cup.
There are occasions when they even exit the tournament during the preliminary stages. My point is that the fact that winning the trophy has eluded us for the past 35 years cannot be the yardstick to judge the success of our campaigns.
Football is developing almost everywhere. We used to be leading the pack and others have developed to catch up with us and some few of them, not more than three, overtake us from time to time.
To argue this way does not mean that the GFA has performed creditably in its areas of football development. The conduct and style of our national coach then, for example, has not helped matters. It is just well and proper that nobody is talking about extending his contract.
Personally, I was not happy when he introduced changes into the team of players who were holding the Burkinabe to a drawn game when out of the blue three so-called senior players were made to change three young, self motivated players. That team could have easily earned us the third position that we wanted as a compensation. He was also not interested in our local league and its players.
One of the problems that we have in our football is the rather poor economy in which we operate. As a result, it has become almost impossible to get fruitful and useful sponsorship. We operate in an economy where companies are either folding up or half-existing due to a national economy which in itself is fighting to survive but perhaps it would help matters if those who appear very anxious to see the back of the present GFA leadership that it is not a matter of shouting abuses and revolution from their FM studios.
Our democratic values have come to stay and world football has established rules and guidelines for the workings and running of football associations like the GFA. The GFA as we are always reminded is a private association established, owned and operated by its members.
There are well-tested rules and regulations for the association and these regulations spell out who qualifies to be president and how long he could be in office. What is more is that the GFA is not funded through the public purse. What is at stake is the ownership and funding of our national teams. The real issue, therefore, is the management of the national teams.
Do we have to change the present arrangements and invite our politicians to manage or help manage the teams? This is where FIFA regulations come in. Indeed, the regulations and practices of FIFA frown on politicians and politics in football. We cannot do otherwise.
I am old enough to know how our politicians of various colours and makes have run the affairs of Ghana. How have they managed the other sectors of the national economy? The question is, have those sectors with full ministries done better than our football sectors?
Football is part of our national sport. Another question is which other sector of our sports is doing better than football. How often and how many trophies are brought by the other sporting disciplines?.
It is good to criticise the managers of football but this should not be done out of context.
