There is a gradual but perhaps unnoticeable crisis in the camp of the Black Stars, Ghana’s senior national football team which not checked, might spell doom for the nation in the upcoming African Cup of Nations in Angola and the World Cup in South Africa.

Since Ghana became the first African country to qualify for these two championships following that clear cut 2-0 win over Sudan on Sept 6 2009, the Stars have failed to impress in all subsequent matches albeit competitive or friendly.

First, Ghana incredibly lost 4-3 to Japan in a friendly in Holland on Sept 9 after taking a comfortable 3-1 lead midway through the second half. When Japan scored three astonishing goals within 15 minutes to carry the day, little did it occur to fans that it was the sign of worse things to come. When on October 17 the Black Stars put up a lethargic show in Cotonou and lost 1-0 to Benin in the penultimate qualifying series of the World Cup / Cup of Nations series it then began to dawn on football followers that the Stars were gradually losing their shine.

Some people were however prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt since the Benin team was a highly motivated side bent on qualifying for Africa at the least if they had missed the World Cup.  But these might have to revive their notes following another lethargic performance by the Stars in the last qualifying match against Mali in Kumasi.

Twice the Black Stars had to fight back to earn a face saving 2-2 draw and you could see it was an ill prepared side. It’s no wonder. On the eve of the match, the top pros in the team were partying in Accra. Michael Essien had chosen to launch a Foundation 24 hours before the match and he had  skipper Stephen Appiah, Sulley Muntari, John Paintsil, Eric  Addo  and believe it or not coach Milovan Rajevan attending the function more than 160 miles from the venue of the match.

Those who thought these partying players would be dropped to give way to the young Under-20 Satellites players invited to camp by the coach were mistaken when all of them were made first choice barely 24 hours after the party.  Naturally, they could not be at their peak and drastic changes had to be made when the Stars were trailing at half time before they could salvage a point.

Essien definitely deserves national commendation for launching a Foundation that would provide basic amenities like potable water, public places of convenience, health care facilities and mentoring for his townsfolk at Senya Breku in the Central Region of Ghana, but I submit that the timing was wrong. He was embarking on a good project at the wrong time.

If for any reason the launching could not have been rescheduled, then those partying players should not have been given first team choice in the match the following day.

Those who are arguing that the presence of coach Milovan at the party compromised discipline in the Stars camp might have a good point after all.

Can you imagine that 24 hours after the match when the Black Stars were scheduled to fly to Angola for a friendly match Essien, Muntari and Asamoah Gyan flatly refused to make trip and instead sent for their passports from the team manager.

A bewildered coach Milovan had to make last minute contingency plans to get two additional players on the trip. The flight was delayed for hours and the only luck was that it was a charter. This is not good enough.

The Ghanaian football public is anxiously awaiting the reaction of the football controlling body. It is obvious that we have a big problem of player indiscipline on our hands and the coming days will see how the authorities will mange to sort things out bearing in mind that Angola 2010 is less than two months away.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports