The sporting media is generally noted for their double edged attitude towards sports practitioners. The virtues of a sportsman or sportswoman could be extolled to the high heavens with all the adjectives one can think of much as a little indiscretion on his part could send him to the cleaners by the same praise singers.

The English media seem to lead in this aspect of journalism and the way national football skipper John Terry of Chelsea fame has been on the spotlight for reportedly having an affair with  a colleague footballer’s former girl friend is typical.

If this had happened in my part of the world, it would have been no news because even President Atta Mills has openly questioned the media for making noise about a cabinet minister’s flirtation with a young female secretary. ”Is it the first time a minister has travelled abroad with his girl friend?”, President Mills queried the media at a public function at Government House.

What tickles me about this whole John Terry affair is the contrasting attitude of the two Italian coaches closely in touch with Terry’s football career. England manager Fabio Capello believes Terry’s personal problems are his own and has relieved him of the England captaincy. The Italian has an eye on the World Cup and obviously wants to avoid any tension in camp since Wayne Bridge whose former girl friend in the centre of the controversy, is a key member of the England squad.

Capello is a real disciplinarian and principled. He has promised to talk with the dismissed captain apparently to explain his action in detail knowing very well what the honour of England captaincy means to Terry.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti on the other hand doesn’t seem to see what all the fuss is about. He is actually surprised to see so much interest about someone’s private life.  The invasion of press photographers at the club’s training obviously trailing John Terry amazes him.

Exhibiting some humour he said “with helicopters hovering above the team at training everyday”, maybe he “would soon have to use a megaphone”.

This lighthearted remark about the media is in sharp contrast with the one by Arsene Wenger who hit at the press for misquoting remarks he made after Arsenal’s defeat by Chelsea. Hear him “You take one word of my press conference to turn it around every time”.

Wenger was reported to have expressed misgivings about the loss to Chelsea which remarks brought a sharp response from Chelsea’s German skipper Michael Ballack that “football is not possession of the ball and playing a nice pass, football is about winning and that’s what we did”. This is quite an interesting rigmarole and as someone put it, the sporting media can make or mar. Their sword cuts both ways and sports practitioners and managers must learn to live it.

Meanwhile, it is my fervent hope that this John Terry saga will not escalate to anything nasty to disturb the high morale in the camp of England for the World Cup. The Three Lions always add some special spice to the World Cup and I would love to see them making their presence felt in South Africa in June.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.

FROM MY ARCHIVES

Feb 10th 1999: Juventus manager Marcello Lippi has offered his resignation after the reigning Italian champions crashed to a 4-2. Defeat to Parma which ended any hopes they had of a third consecutive title.

The surprise top notch performance by the youthful Black Stars in the just ended Africa Cup of nations that saw them narrowly missing the trophy, has generated an interestingly heated national debate whether or not Ghana should stick to the same side for the upcoming World Cup side or bring back the experienced stars.

I consider this debate uncalled for because in the first place there is a whole world of difference between the Africa Cup and the Mundial.

Secondly, apart from Sulley Muntari who was axed for indiscipline, Coach Milovan cannot claim it was a deliberate policy to field those youngsters. The truth of the matter is most of the known stars that qualified Ghana for Angola 2010 and the South Africa World Cup were on the sick list. You name them: John Mensah, Laryea Kingston, John Paintsil, Stephen Appiah, Michael Essien, Eric Addo and Co were all hit by injuries.

Milovan therefore had no choice but to fall on the cream of the Black Satellites (Under 20) that had had some experience at the Junior World Cup. Luckily, they rose to the occasion but one may ask whether it is necessary to stretch our luck that far to the world cup. I don’t think so.

I submit that we can still use a few of the youngsters in South Africa but if the oldies show true form after their recovery from injuries they should be given preference

This debate must stop. The youngsters would agree that they have a long and bright future ahead of them and I believe they would be so matured by the next Africa Cup that their participation in the subsequent 2014 World Cup in Brazil would come automatically.

Let’s not rush to discard those who toiled to make Ghana’s qualification for Angola and South Africa 2010 so deceptively easy. Sulley Muntari, the rebel, is reported to have apologized for his insulting behaviour towards coach Milovan when he blatantly failed to honour an appointment in Italy. The apology must be accepted for its worth and the veteran striker must be given the opportunity to show remorse.

It should be borne in mind that a lot of water is going to pass over the bridge between now and the World Cup in June and it is unwise to sow any discords in the Black Stars team. It is my considered opinion that a beautiful blend of the old and new stars, Manchester United style, would do the trick in South Africa.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.

FROM MY ARCHIVES

Feb 4th 1999: Glenn Hoddle’s two and half year reign as England soccer coach ended when he was sacked following comments he made about disabled people. He was the first England manager to be sacked since Alf Ramsey in 1974.

It was in the midst of Angola 2010 when all attention was focused on the 27th Africa Cup of Nations football tournament that Ghana’s President Atta Mills made some dramatic ministerial changes that affected the Ministry of Sports. The nation was so engrossed in the unexpected exploits of the makeshift Black Stars team that the ministerial changes became a secondary matter in the scheme of things.

In any case, the sports sector has seen so many changes in the last decade that it was no longer considered news if a new face suddenly popped up to head the ministry.

Now that the Africa Cup is over and the Black Stars are back in town led by an attractive middle aged lady, receiving all the applause for their spirited performance that won them silver, the sporting fraternity is coming to the realization that Ghana has, for the first time, a woman sports minister.

The new minister is Pamela Akua Sena Dansua, an accomplished journalist who had been Minister of Women and Children affairs since February 13 2009. She is the 9th minister to hold the sports folio since 2001. Her predecessors were Mallam Issah, the late Osei Kwaku, Papa Owusu Ankomah, the late Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, Yaw Osafo Maafo, Prof John Fobih, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak and Alhaji Rashid Pelpuo. Quite a long list if you ask me.

Sports analysts have tried their best to unravel the mystery surrounding the sports ministry portfolio that has resulted in so many changes within a decade especially when a couple of the ministers were actually sacked for financial misconduct.

There is a school of thought that believes that a change in gender would do the trick but a large number of sports critics think this is not funny. The former president of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Ebo Quansah for example thinks there are so many cantankerous characters within the sports administration that his colleague female journalist would find it hard to cope. In his weekly column in the privately owned tabloid The Daily Guide, the former SWAG president, seemingly with a tongue in cheek advised Akua Dansua to plead with President Mills to send her back to the Women’s ministry.Ebo is convinced the load at the sports ministry is way beyond the capacity of that lively lady.

Akua however thinks otherwise. She believes she has the professional competence to make it. Even though she was shocked to receive the news about the change because she thought she had set a cracking pace at her old ministry gearing up to put a lot of her programmes and policies into action, she is confident she has the “political experience, independence of mind and the neutrality needed in a multi-faceted environment such as the Ministry of Sports to turn the place around.”

I have known Akua Dansua for nearly three decades since my bosom friend the late versatile journalist Yaw Boakye Ofori Atta, then Editor of Ghana’s most popular weekly, The Mirror, detected the talents of Akua and became her mentor. When Yaw Boakye was later transferred to another state owned weekly The Spectator, she took Akua along where the vibrant lady with her trademark short hair made her mark and later veered into party politics. She was District Chief Executive for Kpando from 1997 to 2001 when she became Member of Parliament for North Dayi in the Volta Region. She is currently serving a third term in Parliament.

Akua Dansua refuses to accept suggestions that her new appointment might be a trap for self destruction judging from the experience of some others before her. She told Daily Graphic columnist Kofi Akordor she was convinced her choice as the first female Minister in charge of Sports is an affirmation of confidence in the ability of women by President Mills generally and in her personal qualities. You can trust Akua’s confidence

This reminds me of the late Police Officer Imoru Lafia when he was appointed Ghana’s Director of Sports in the late sixties. Asked whether he was aware he was going to occupy a hot seat. He replied “it depends on how you sit on it”.

Akua Dansua would have to prove to the skeptics that she is capable of succeeding where even the angels’ fear to tread. I can envisage exciting times ahead on the sporting front.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.

FROM MY ARCHIVES

Feb 9 2005: The Black Stars of Ghana lose 2-1 to Ajax Amsterdam in a friendly match in Holland. Ajax scored first and John Paintsil replied for Ghana but a quickly taken free –kick won the day for Ajax.

Ghana line-up: George Owu/ Sammy Adjei, Emmanuel Pupae, John Mensah/Emmanuel Osei,John Paintsil, Anthony Obodai,Godwin Attram, Stephen Appiah, Sulley Muntari, Kofi Amponsah, Asamoah Gyan,Baffour Gyan, Godwin Attram /Kwadwo Poku, Hans Adu Sarpei, Mathew Amoah, John Nyarko,Derick Boateng.

And so it came to pass that the Biblical David versus Goliath encounter between Ghana and Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations final on the treacherous playing grounds of Luanda could not live up to its biblical myth. This time round Egypt, the Goliath used its giant structure to eclipse Ghana the David.

It was a fitting climax to a rather controversial 27th Nations Cup and even though the youthful Black Stars stretched their more ferocious opponents for a long spell , one moment of magic won the day for the Egyptians who have established an incredible record of three successive Africa Cup triumphs without conceding a single defeat in all these tournaments from 2006 – 2010.

And come to think of it, that all these achievements have been under charismatic coach Hassan Shehata who some fans prefer to call the Alex Ferguson of Africa, with obvious reference to English club Manchester United’s veteran manager.

With this hat-trick by Egypt, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) would once again have to look for a new Cup. Egypt have won this one for keeps emulating Ghana’s feat in 1978 when the Black Stars won the original cup for good following earlier triumphs in 1963 and 1965. It took 22 years before its replacement, the African Unity Cup, was also won for good by Cameroon in 2000 who had already won it twice in 1984 and 1988. But this third Cup has been only eight years old when Egypt has snatched it for good in such an authoritative manner thus breaking many records in the process.

Egypt has now virtually claimed all records in African Cup history. Perhaps the only honour shared is the eight times Cup final appearance with Ghana but even there is a sharp difference here. Ghana has lost four of its eight cup final appearances- Ethiopia 1968, Sudan 1970 Senegal 1992 and Angola 2010 whilst Egypt has only one loss, Ethiopia 1962.

It is noteworthy that the Africa Cup continues to show improvement in the standard of play. The bi-annual tournament should maintain the format and not succumb to outside pressure to vary the format to suit other so called continental tournaments and the European leagues. The two year format enables Africa to produce many more talents to replenish the stock because for inexplicable reasons many African stars wither rather too quickly.

Perhaps what we should tidy up is the organization of the tournament where security matters are sometimes taken for granted. It must be realized that rebels are fast finding sports as a soft spot to attract international attention and everybody must sit up. The armed attack on the Togolese team could have been effectively checked if security had been alert knowing fully well the volatile situation in Angola.

It is my considered opinion that Togo did the right thing by quitting the games. It showed sensitivity for the players who after all make the game what it is. The decision by CAF to ban Togo for abandoning the games is to say the least cruel and insensitive.

I don’t think it would have made sense for Togo to ship another batch of players to Angola for the tournament since the original team had been badly shaken by the armed attack that left three dead and several wounded.

I was expecting CAF to institute an international enquiry into the armed attack, pay heavy compensation to Togo and organize a fitting memorial for the departed sports heroes and not to rub salt into wounds with those senseless sanctions.

It is hoped that the unfortunate incident in Angola would be the last to be seen in any tournament hosted in Africa and it puts South Africa on the alert to be extra vigilant during the upcoming World Cup.

Once again I say cheers to Egypt for winning the cup. They have really shown that champions die hard just like what Manchester United is displaying in the English league. The 3-1 defeat dished out to title chasers Arsenal on Sunday shows that United are not prepared to surrender their title all that easily.

On the lighter side, Ghanaians are not too down hearted to lose the final to Egypt because apart from being the better side they are regarded as Ghana’s in laws. Ghana’s first President Kwame Nkrumah married a very elegant Egyptian Fathia, and in popular Ghanaian folklore if you don’t have anything for your in- law, you don’t steal from her.

Egypt was painfully booted out of the World Cup by Algeria and needed victory as some sort of compensation and Ghana the in-law, should not be the side to spoil the party.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.

Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final between the Black Stars of Ghana and the Pharaohs of Egypt in the Angola capital of Luanda is a typical case of the Biblical David versus Goliath affair. With their impeccable record and an array of seasoned stars, Egypt stands for Goliath and the Black Stars, parading a relatively inexperienced youthful side, can be conveniently called David. The story in the Bible is that Goliath was a giant with menacing looks, and David a rather frail figure but with tact he overpowered Goliath.

The road to the Angola 2010 final by both teams depicts a sharp contrast. Whilst Egypt scored emphatic victories in five matches to reach the final, Ghana lost one of their four qualifying matches and scrapped through three with narrow wins to reach the top. 

Egypt beat three of Africa’s representatives for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa, namely Nigeria 3-1, Cameroun 3-1, Algeria 4-0 and two others Mozambique 2-0 and Benin 2-0.

Ghana was beaten 3-1 by Cote d’Ivoire and won the subsequent three matches against Burkina Faso 1-0, Angola 1-0 and Nigeria 1-0 to reach the final. You could see that if mathematics had any role to play in football, Ghana would not have qualified to meet Egypt in the final. It is this seeming incongruity that makes football an exciting game and Sunday’s match could really provide an intriguing result.

The records of both Ghana and Egypt in the Africa Cup history provide interesting analysis. Ghana are four times champions 1963,1965,1978 1982 and Egypt are six times winners 1957,1959,1986,1998,2006,2008. You will realize that at the time Ghana became four times champions in 1982, Egypt were still stuck to their two wins of 1957 and 1959 that were the earliest stages of the tournament.

When Egypt hit the road again in 1986, Ghana were still at the four titles and the nearest the Black Stars came near the trophy again was in 1992 when they lost the final to Cote d’Ivoire. Both Egypt and Ghana had then been in the doldrums when the North Africans emerged once more in 1998 and that triumph in the Burkina Faso championships saw them equaling Ghana’s record of four times winners.

Since then, Egypt have shown consistent form and won twice in 2006 at home and 2008 in Ghana and are on the brink of achieving  an unprecedented hat-trick, something that Ghana tried unsuccessfully in Ethiopia 1968 when Congo Kinshasa  spoiled the party with a narrow 1-0 victory over the Black Stars. This defeat is in the records as one of the major upsets in Africa Nations Cup history.  Ghana had beaten the Congolese 5-2 in the 1965 tournament in Tunisia and won again in the group stages of the 1968 showpiece but Congo struggled through the remaining matches to reach the final and achieved a sweet revenge over the Black Stars.   

The Black Stars reached the final for an unprecedented fourth consecutive in Sudan 1970. Even though they lost 1-0 to the hosts it is still a proud record that Egypt would like to break starting from Sunday’s tie against Ghana on Sunday. Having shattered all the enviable records by Ghana in Africa including matching Ghana’s eight cup final appearances, Egypt are determined to raise the bar further up by stretching the cup wins to seven. It will be tough because of the contrasting styles of both teams.

Egypt are fast and slippery and have a lot of tricks at their disposal but can be caught on a counter by the courageous, youthful Black Stars who may be slow to attack but really solid at the rear. I don’t anticipate too many goals and it won’t be surprising if the Black Stars with their proven superior stamina could spring a surprise with their trademark narrow wins that has carried them this far.

It is hoped the referee will be more liberal than the whistle happy gentleman who handled the Algeria – Egypt semi final and took all the fun from the game with his textbook interpretation of the laws of the game. For the sake of Africa football let’s have a clean game.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports

FROM MY ARCHIVES

January 31 2006: Zimbabwe beat the Black Stars of Ghana 2-1 to oust them from the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. It was poor show by the Black Stars in unusual black jerseys. An own goal by Issah Ahmed and another clumsy clearance by the same player gave Zimbabwe a 2-0 lead till substitute Baba Amando pulled one back for Ghana in injury time.