Black Stars Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac has confounded his critics following the Stars surprise 3-0 win over DR Congo in the final group matches of the ongoing African Nations Championships in Cote d’Ivoire.

The Serbian had led the Black Stars to two uninspiring draws; 2-2 with Zimbabwe and 1-1 with Libya. On each occasion, the Stars had had to come to from a deficit to settle for a draw. These two results had put the Stars in a precarious position and with only two points in two games they needed nothing but victory in the last group match to avoid an early return home. And they rose to the occasion and romped home with such an emphatic 3-0 victory that all those ardent critics of Coach Rajevac would have top revise their notes.

I had been very hesitant in blaming the coach for the rather lethargic performance of the team because of my intimate knowledge of players’ attitude in such competitions. For starters, I was a long standing member of the Black Stars management committee in the early nineties and had the privilege of monitoring the moods of the players from the time the line up for the day is announced, their meals before the big match and their demeanour in the dressing room and I can say with all authority that it is a different ball game all together. The supporters in the stands don’t have the faintest idea of the kind of backroom work done before the players trot on to the pitch. It is a whole lot of complex exercise.

When I saw the rather care free attitude of the Black Stars in the first match against Zimbabwe, I sensed that the there might be something wrong with our whole tactical approach to the competition. I had a funny feeling that some key players were trying to protect their limbs for either the premier league or some impending contracts abroad. The 2-2 draw against Zimbabwe was to some people a fluke and this was confirmed by the hard struggle to earn a face saving 1-1 draw with Libya.

Milovan Ravejac - Ghana Black Stars Head Coach

My initial thoughts were that the nation did not put too much premium on this novelty competition and we were just in a hurry to get over it and resume the oft disrupted premier league. I was not also too sure whether we were able to pick the best home based Black Stars for the assignment but having been schooled to be generous in praise and slow to criticize, I gave the benefit of the doubt to coach Rajevac whose analysis showed that inexperience was the bane of his players and that he was hopeful the team would mature with time.

Indeed the coach promised to work on the psyche of the players to be able to hold their own in the remaining matches. “These boys need a little time and they will be the best on the continent”, Coach Rajevac confidently predicted before that crucial game against Congo.

And with this sweet victory that has sailed the team into the semi-finals against Senegal; no one should begrudge coach Rajevac for his confidence in a team that does not appear to be many peoples favourite. It is said that the end justifies the means. The lessons the numerous arm chair critics may have to learn is that football is a most unpredictable sport and it does not pay to jump to quick conclusions.

I recall that in the in the 1986 Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria lost their first match heavily to Algeria and the Nigerian media gave coach Westerhof a new name “Westerflop” and called for the immediate return of the team back home. Westerhof however fought on gallantly and reached the final but lost narrowly.

The lesson gathered here is that it is not over until it’s all over. As for me, I will abide by the dictum of my late headmaster at Abuakwa State College, the venerable C.J.Bannerman of blessed memory that “we should be generous in praise and slow to criticize”.

I am fully prepared to give coach Rajevac and his assistants’ time to build the Black Stars both home based and those abroad.

Cheers and keep loving sports.