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