With Joe Aggrey

Every team has its highs and lows. It is, therefore, rare when a side stays on top for a very long time without suffering a setback once in a long while. And when eventually that happens, it becomes headline news. Ever since the Black Stars became the first African country to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, without dropping a point or conceding a goal, things appear to be unravelling.

Incredibly, the team made sure that they occupied the summit of the African Group D qualifiers with a 2-0 victory against Sudan in Accra last September, with two matches to go, have suddenly fallen on bad times. They lost 3-4 to Japan in a friendly, were beaten 1-0 by Benin before being held to a 2-2 draw in Kumasi a fortnight ago in the last two qualifying matches.

Even though those results should not necessarily send the nation into a panic reaction as if the whole world is coming to an end, they should nevertheless cause some concern, especially as the Cup of Nations finals are less than three months away.

Last week, the Black Stars played Angola, the 2010 African Cup of Nations hosts, in Luanda. According to reports, the international friendly ended goalless but it is events leading to that match which should make the whole nation apprehensive of the grave situation that lies ahead as those two most important tournaments for the African and global game loom large and close on the horizon.

The team left for Luanda last Monday without Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari and Asamoah Gyan. Also missing were skipper Stephen Appiah and Samuel Inkoom. But, according GFA General Secretary Kofi Nsiah, the captain and the young defender had permission to stay away, unlike their three other colleagues who never even had the courtesy to inform either the coach or the GFA about their intentions. It is said the trio kept the team waiting at the airport, as they failed to respond to phone calls seeking to know their whereabouts. The first indication the team handlers had about what really was happening was when they sent for their passports.

This must have been a very embarrassing development for the GFA who had signed a contract with their Angolan counterparts with the proviso that Ghana would be presenting all the top stars, who must, of course, include Essien and Muntari. And as for Coach Rajevic Milovan, this should represent the severest slap in the face by players he had no cause to believe would treat him and the nation with such gross disrespect. And all that is against the background that the GFA had asked for their release from their respective clubs for both the World Cup qualifier and the international friendly.

For some time now, one had almost taken it for granted that players of the Black Stars had put the attitude of turning their backs on their nation behind them. Except perhaps, in the isolated case of Muntari towards the tail end of the current qualifying series, no such blatant snub had been registered by any player, ever since, before and after the 2006 World Cup. The unfortunate saga of Michael Essien’s absence at the 2006 Cup of Nations appeared to have been forgotten and the player forgiven by Ghanaians. But, perhaps, we were all wrong, given that Essien and Muntari, known to be very close friends, are involved in the current disappointing affair. Would anybody be wrong to conclude that the current lackadaisical performances by the Black Stars could not have been a mere coincidence? Could it be that some of the players feel they are now bigger than the nation and need not give their 100 per cent, having ridden on Ghana’s back to reach stardom?

As unfortunate and harsh as that would sound, it is difficult to draw any other conclusion. Only the previous Saturday night, the GFA was said to have chartered an aircraft at the cost of $10,000 to enable some Black Stars and coach Milo to fly from Kumasi to Accra and back for the launch of the Michael Essien Foundation. And is this the way Essien is paying the GFA and the nation back? Or better put, is it not a stab in the back? Why is Essien, in particular, not learning from the patriotic attitude of his Chelsea team mate, Didier Drogba, who has on many occasions, demonstrated that he puts his nation, Cote d’Ivoire above any other interest, and that includes his own person? And when at the launch of his foundation, Essien spoke about how he had been inspired by George Weah, was it only a reference to the on-the- pitch performances and not the countless examples of sacrifice and dedication that the Liberian super star so profusely exhibited towards his country during his extraordinary playing career?

Under the circumstance, Coach Milo would have had no other choice but to give young players like Dominic Adiyiah, Dede Ayew and the other U-20 World Cup heroes he had called up the chance to show what they had to offer in the match against Angola. Perhaps, that is the way the nation can be assured that nobody, and absolutely nobody, can hold the Black Stars to ransom in the run-up to next year’s two crucial assignments. The GFA has promised to investigate what Essien and Co. have done and take the appropriate measures. The coach has also indicated his intention to take appropriate action against the errant trio. Whilst we await all that with bated breath, I urge the soccer authorities to be firm, so as to send the right message across. No Ghanaian should feel bigger than the nation, ever!

It was such acts of indiscipline and display of indispensability and arrogance which literally destroyed the Black Stars in the not-too-distant past. Such negative tendencies must not be allowed to creep back into the team, no matter what.

The Cup of Nations draw has put the Black Stars in the so-called ‘Group of Death’, involving West African neighbours, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and Burkina Faso. This is certainly going to be a big test for Ghana’s preparedness for the World Cup and nothing must be done to distract the focus of the team and its handlers from the job ahead. It, therefore, behoves all concerned to keep this in mind as the time draws closer and closer. Ghana soccer deserves better than the atmosphere of distraction, arrogance and indiscipline a few individuals, be they players and pseudo administrators, are bent on creating.