Sports News of Friday, 18 June 2004

Source: Mirror

Up,Black Stars!

This Sunday will be a date with destiny for the Black Stars when they host their South African counterparts, the Bafana Bafana, in a World Cup qualifier at the Kumasi Stadium.

Whether or not the nation?s long-cherished dream of making an appearance at the World Cup is going to be realised will largely depend on the outcome of Sunday?s match.

This places on the Stars a responsibility to ensure victory, as anything less can be disastrous. We know it is a tough assignment, against the background that the Stars are yet to beat the Bafana Bafana in any match.

But it can be done with a better game plan, determination on the part of the players and their ability to take their chances.

The league on recess again

THE Premier League has once again been postponed to make way for the honouring of some international engagements. This is understandable, given the importance we attach to these engagements, especially the World Cup qualifiers.

As has been said over and over again, it is very important that we do everything possible to avoid the pitfalls that have cost us participation in the World Cup in particular. With all countries, including the so-called minows, marshalling all resources to make the desired impact on such qualifiers, we can?t go to sleep and hope that all will be well with us.

The initiative must come from us, and we must go about it in a manner that is reflective of our commitment to professionalism.Since the Premier League got underway, there appears to have been no unanimity between organisers and stakeholders over whether league matches at a point in time should be honoured or not.

This clearly sends out wrong signals when, for the good of our game, nothing of the sort should be the case. There is no doubt that both parties are concerned about the good of Ghana football. Whatever the differences, it is always better that a middle ground is found in the search for answers to problems.

Maybe at a later date we will have to take another look at the issue of our football calendar, vis-a-vis the debate of synchonising it with the European league