A BLACKMAILING ATTEMPT by Joshua Nyame, a self-styled prophet, to fleece the management of the Black Stars of ?100 million to enable the team to ostensibly qualify for the World Cup fiesta in Germany, has back-fired.

Disclosing the story, Stephen Tornado Appiah, the Stars? Captain, of Fernabache fame said, the Man of God was demanding ?100 million, to break the jinx, impeding the Stars? bid to qualify for the World Cup, but he decided not to deal with him any longer, after paying ?15 m in two tranches, the first tranche made up of ?5m and the second ?10m.

The prophet claimed on Peace Fm Kokrokoo morning show hosted by Kwame Sefa-Kayi, yesterday that when Black Stars played Bafana Bafana in South Africa, he sent out his 22 angels to go and play alongside the Black Stars. Hence their 2-0 defeat of the Bafana Bafana.

The ?prophet?, Joshua Nyame, who used to occasionally announce via the radio station, that the Black Stars were under a certain spell, and that, until that was broken, the national team would never qualify to the World Cup stage yesterday, left Peace FM studios, an utterly fazed, and a humiliated Man of God with many callers hailing invectives amidst SMS text massages and telephone calls to the station.

According to Joshua Nyame, who claims he lives in the Western Region, but has three prayer camps in the country, it was revealed to him that the Stars would lose their opening match against Burkina Faso, and they lost, 1-0. Meanwhile, Joshua Nyame, has predicted that come Germany 2006, the Black Stars of Ghana, shall be the only African side to go to the World Cup and win the world?s most coveted cup. He claimed that, before the Black Stars match against Bafana Bafana in Kumasi, God revealed to him that the Stars were going to win 2-1.

However, according to him, there were some ?sunsumuade?, or rituals to perform, to let that dream become a reality, so he contacted Davies Odeneho Appiah and Charles Osei Asibey, two sports presenters at Happy FM, respectively, to convey the message to Stephen Appiah.

Charles Osei Asibey formerly worked with Peace FM. According to him, the Stars Captain subsequently, sent Osei Asibey and Odeneho Appiah to come and see him and they paid him ?4 million. He explained that he needed the money to buy some spiritual items to help the Black Stars to win their matches.

When called to substantiate, or deny the allegation, Mr. Odeneho Appiah,, now head of sports at Happy FM in Accra confirmed to Peace FM, yesterday, that, indeed, he and Charles Osei Asibey were sent by the Black Stars captain, Stephen Appiah, to go and locate Joshua Nyame, and give him an amount of ?5 million, thus contradicting the pastor?s claim that he was given ?4 million, by the two sports journalists. When Stephen was called by the radio station, he conceded that he gave Osei Asibey and Odeneho Appiah some money, to give the prophet.

Asked by Kwame how much he doled out, Stephen Appiah said about ?5 million, and ?10 million.

He, however, stated that, aside from what he gave the two sports journalists, Joshua Nyame kept on calling him on phone, and asking for more money. Asked by he host why in spite of his prediction that the Black Stars will win 2-1 against south Africa in Kumasi, they won 3-0 Joshua Nyame said football is like Azumah Nelson in his hey day, whether he beat an opponent by TKO or on points, what was important was that he won the boxing bout.

According to Joshua Nyame, until the Black Stars management came and paid for a promise they made to him, they would never qualify for World Cup 2006 in Germany.

Before the morning show panel discussion programme, Mr. Kwadwo Frimpong, also a presenter of Peace FM, revealed that, the said Joshua Nyame has disclosed to him that the Black Stars have come to pay for the debt, which they owed him, hence their, 2-0, victory over the Bafana Bafana, again in South Africa, which opened the vista of hope for Ghana?s first-ever qualification to the World Cup. Asked by Kwame Sefa-Kayi whether the prophet was able to predict the outcome of the Black Stars and Bafana Bafana match, in South Africa, Kwadwo Frimpong said no. It was after the match.

Asked again, whether Joshua Nyame, was able to predict the outcome of the game against the Cape Verdian national team, in Praia, at the weekend, Kwadwo answered in the negative.

Unknown to the panellists, whilst these exchanges were going on, Joshua Nyame had actually entered the Peace FM premises, and was itching to be ushered into the Peace FM studio, to prove his claim and to shame the doubting Thomases. At the end of it all, he only managed with stuttering responses to the probing questions, fired by Mr. Sefa-Kayi, and his panellists.

The Stars? Captain thanked Ghanaians for their prayers, and support that, have taken the Black Stars so far, and also, thanked his fellow colleagues for their total commitment in the qualifying matches. In the midst of it all, Mr. Mike Gizo, a former Greater Accra Regional Minister, and one-time Minister of Tourism, blamed the radio station for entertaining a man like Joshua Nyame, in the studio.

He observed that, the Stars? victory is the work of God, coupled with the total commitment, sacrifice and the will to die a little bit for the country, than by the claim of any Man of God, who was claiming monetary recompense for his so-called prayers.