danger looming for the team in the much anticipated FIFA World Cup in Brazil next year unless some drastic measures are taken to shore up the technical bench of the team.
Mr. President, it is a fact none can dispute that you have taken Ghana football to unprecedented heights since you took over the FA presidency, winning the U-20 World Cup and also spearheading us to two successive FIFA World Cups in which Ghana emerged as the best performing African country on both occasions.
By this fact, I know your detractors (which are inevitable anyway) will disagree, but you have written your name in Gold letters as Ghana’s best FA capo ever!
However, your actions of late threaten to obliterate all your achievements unless your take some hard decisions to forestall this eventuality by changing the current head coach Kwasi Appiah – who, for me, is incapable of steering the technical affairs of the team to safe waters.
You only have to compare and contrast the way the Black Stars have been playing since he took over and even the kind of opposition we have encountered since he took over and how we played.
Compare and contrast the Stars style of play from 2006 through to the time he took over, not to mention the sore spectacle of our display at the South Africa 2012 Cup of Nations. And you want to take him to Brazil? It will be a disaster!
I know many are those who will feel that this is not the right time for such a letter because of the match against Egypt, but it is precisely the importance and crucial nature of this encounter that my letter to you is seeking to address.
You will recall that following our embarrassing performance at South Africa 2012, I visited you at your home and expressed serious misgivings about our technical bench and the team’s disappointing display against mediocre sides such as Niger, a fact you completely agreed with.
I was, therefore, shocked that you could not fire the coach but rather opted to send him on a refresher course by attaching him to a European team for a few weeks. Are we serious?
To attach our national coach to an European team for a refresher course, and we call ourselves big football heavyweights in Africa?
No wonder a country like Zambia is now disrespecting us because the Chipolopolos could come to our own backyard without having even enough training and outplay us, and you want to take this technical bench to Brazil? GOD HELPS US.
Why do you think some countries spend so much on a head coach?
Even countries with super stars still invest a lot in the technical bench. It is because they know that is the engine room and, are therefore, eager to acquire the best of technical hands.
I have heard some soccer fans, F.A people and sports journalists (you know yourself) arguing that under Kwasi Appiah we have won more of our matches and are on the verge of qualifying for the World Cup.
But I find this argument rather disingenuous, especially so considering the calibre of the opposition against which we have chalked our major victories.
In a group comprising Ghana, Zambia, Lesotho and Sudan, played in a league format, was it not obvious that Ghana and Zambia would emerge tops?
But assuming that Ghana and Zambia were equal on all counts as the group ended Zambia would have been declared winners on the away goal because they scored a goal here.
Another argument is that under Kwasi Appiah we have scored more goals, moving away from the infamous one-goal project regime. But we must take note of the fact that more than half of the goals were against Lesotho, the whipping boys of the group.
I am aware of the fact that when we qualify for the World Cup, people will argue that we cannot at this juncture change the coach who qualified the team.
But I wish to put you on notice that should you kowtow to such a position, you should brace yourself up for a disaster which would be an unfortunate anti-climax to an otherwise glorious leadership that you have provided Ghana football.
I hope Mr. President you agree with me that expressing these sentiments I am motivated purely by my unbridled love for the team and nothing personal against Kwasi Appiah, who is a fine gentleman and a friend who showed me love throughout my travels with the Black Stars when he was the assistant coach.
This relationship, however, should not stop me from venting my innermost feelings about a team, you will attest, I have followed and watched every single match of no matter where we played, being it friendly or competitive since the 2006 Cup of Nations in Egypt to as far as Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, U.S.A until 2013 at no cost to anybody but myself.
For me the Black Stars are special as you know. I, therefore, pray that we beat Egypt lest, Mr. President, you will have to resign honourably should we fail,
Thank you for your kind attention.
Sly Senyo,
Accra.
From: Sly Senyo, Accra Ghana
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