Ghanaians aren’t nostalgic for the benighted days when a perceived Kwesi Appiah-Abedi Pele Captaincy row affected the Black Stars so badly that the otherwise golden team of talented individuals never won us gold.
Coach Kwesi Appiah will do himself and those of us who supported his second coming a lot of good if he stays away from the Asamoah Gyan-Dede Ayew politics.
Kwesi’s is to manage the situation and make sure the talents of these players are put to good use for the general good of Mother Ghana. Dropping the Ayews and retaining Asamoah Gyan will amount to igniting fire and stoking it whilst there is no meal to cook.
Let me make it clear however that I am not in support of a group of Ghanaians who have forgotten so soon that Dede Ayew was the main architect behind Kwesi Nyantekyi’s only recognized silverware as the GFA president for Twelve (12) good years-the Under 20 world cup; neither do I belong to the group that have been so ungrateful to remember that Asamoah Gyan’s one goal project propelled the Black Stars to our maiden quarter final berth during the South Africa 2010 World Cup.
I am of the opinion that Coach Kwesi Appiah should prove to us that he is a top notch manager and that he can bring unity to the team and manage the egos of the two players and get them commit to his cause.
During his unveiling recently, Coach Kwesi Appiah made us believe that he has learnt his mistakes and to quote him: “I have learnt a lot. There are so many mistakes I believe I did the other time and I will not repeat them”. If these quotes are anything to go by then dropping the Ayews and retaining Asamoah Gyan is a direct contradiction.
Under his tenure as Black Stars coach a few years ago, these same Ayew Brothers left the team under very bizarre circumstances and it took political intervention for them to return. If Coach Kwesi Appiah has learnt his lessons as he is making us believe, why drop them again under the current circumstances. Of course, the prerogative as to which player to invite and leave out, rests with the coach but there should be justifiable reasons but not to wade into an "existing political feud" between the Ayews and Asamoah Gyan.
If the public perception that the rift between the two players is creating problems, why drop one and keep the other? Has Coach Akwesi Appiah taken sides already? Probably there is another reason I am not privy to.
If you have taken sides, then Mr. Coach I think your choice is wrong. Not because Asamoah Gyan is a bad player, far from that, but the fact is that no manager worth his salt will build his team around an ageing player. It is the reason why 18-year old Kylian Mbappe is pretty much expensive in terms of value today than a celebrated guerrilla Cristiano Ronaldo. I am sorry coach, but you have only one choice to make: to unite the team and manage the egos of the two or kick out the older one. It will be suicidal for coach Kwesi Appiah to permanently keep the Ayews out of his team and retain ageing Asamoah Gyan as a bird has whispered into my ears.
Having publicly defended Asamoah Gyan’s branding of the Captain’s armband albeit it controverts FIFA rules, Coach kwesi Appiah created a very wrong impression in the eyes of right thinking members of society and followers of the game. Many were wondering, could it be a deliberate attempt by the coach to defend the indefensible or sheer ignorance? Indeed staunch supporters of Asamoah Gyan who tried hard to justify that ungodly act could cite only club examples.
Try as they did, they could not cite a single national team example to buttress their claims. The Black Stars team is regarded as apolitical and a strong tool for national unity but I am afraid some of my Muslim brothers have started reading meanings into how the Moslems in the team are accidentally losing their positions citing Adam Kwarasey, Majeed Waris, Mubarak Wakasu, Rasheed Sumaila, and recently Jordan and Dede Ayew. Such wild claims should not be entertained within the corridors of football-never, but the recent ousting of the Ayew Brothers seems to feed into such wild allegations. The proponents of these wild allegations are pointing accusing fingers at Coach Kwesi Appiah although some of the issues are not wholly true.
In a country where politics of patronage has become an integral part of our body politics, Coach Kwesi Appiah will do himself and those of us who supported his second coming a lot of good if he stayed away from the politics of the team especially the one involving the Ayews and Asamoah Gyan.
Believe it or not, some Ghanaians are of the opinion that Coach Kwesi Appiah holds grudges against Abedi Pele over the Senegal 1992 captaincy issue and an opportunity to take over the Black Stars coaching reign is suitable for a pay back on Abedi Pele’s ‘kids’, a notion that Coach Kwesi Appiah has found it difficult to dispel from the minds of people despite several public denials. The current happenings will undoubtedly bring back that unending debate and further create unnecessary tension around the team. This in my estimation is unnecessary and could have been avoided.
Football administrators claim the game is devoid of politics but in reality they are bedfellows. Happenstances in the body politics of every country around the world sometimes have direct influence on the pitch of play and vice versa. A smart coach will however play it safe to safeguard his job by creating a fair balance. For instance, it took direct pressure from the former American President Kennedy’s administration to get Washington to sign Bobby Mitchell, a halfback and future Hall of Fame inductee, in 1962.
Same could be said of the inclusion of Roger Milla in the Cameroonian national team ahead of World cup 1990. Of course, the return of Asamoah Gyan and the Ayew brothers after their respective voluntary retirements took political twists. Coach Kwesi Appiah should therefore stay away from the politics of these two players and harness their talents for his benefit and that of the nation at large. Drop both players as a disciplinary measure if you want to be seen as fair and firm or manage and massage the egos of both.
Siding with one of them is suicidal.
Source: Dan Kweku Yeboah/PeaceFM Sports
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guys, not that it seem DAN tilting towards the ayews but hey , mr prez and NPP must be careful that, no matter the financial contribution of asamoah gyan which i wont chicken out as APLUS, must know that, the team is not political party, after forceifully bring akwesi appiah, is it time to send the AYEWS away?, lets be wise, think deep like kuffour, dont be blinded by asiamah etc bcx a time may come that neither you nor npp will be in power but the enemy you create today may hurt even ya generation, be fair mr president and call the coach, fa prez and minister to sort out with the ayews and asamoah even with their father so if a time come that the ayews are axed, it will be justified not this way, very bad bad abd bad, though the prez prophet also support asamoah even by fighting lawyer AMPAH, i think prophesy isnt wisdom neither wisdom prophesy but as bible says, prophesy edifies, isiah was a prophet but as bible says, wasnt wise like king solomon
Hooo shame unto you Dan Kwaku Yeboah. You kept on lambasting the GFA for supervising a poor standard league yet this same products of a substandard league won the WAFU in style. Now you dont have anything to say so you are dabbling in propaganda. What at all makes you see yourself highly like that.You kept on lambasting Kwasi Nyantakyi wishing his downfall but now do you see where he is. Stop all these hate moves for God's blessing upon you ok.
Kwaku,I strongly disagree with you. This is prejudice,Kwaku! These same players refuse to play the last qualifier for the only reason God Can really authenticate. Please if there are other equally good players who can do the job,lets leave the coach to do his job. Why are you journalist always trying to read meanings to coaches selection of players. STOP THAT .IT WONT HELP GHANA SOCCER. I f you criticize about corruption at the GFA , that you can make,but Ayew and Asamoah issue ,you journalists are making that unsubstantiated stories. STOP THAT FOR PEACE TO PREVAIL IN THE CAMP.
Dan Kwaku Yeboah, I will like very much as sports presenter but hey man you are not smart enough to hide your bias. It's clear from your well-written piece that you are not happy with the dropping of the Ayews. Get over that and next time a piece of advice, pass on your written work to legon lecturers to help you reduce the level of bias in your reporting.
I still can't understand why the Ayews are dropped? National team that were supposed to united us has been turn to Akans kingdom dividing us every now and then.***barred word*** Kwasi Appiah.
I did not bother to read all, the article from onset do not make sense at all and very incoherent Kwaku yeboah paa this is what you could put you sense to? very sad and unfortunate, the least said about the article the better seriously this article belongs to the W.C or the trash
Dan Kwaku Yeboah,fa wo n.kwasias3m sore ho! Do you think you know much better than the dressing room staff? Do you know what's happening in the dressing room? If coaching the Blacks Stars is so easy, why Abedi Pele never go near? Gyae w'as3m. Wo tiri kakraka. mmcheww
Dan Kwaku Yeboah all the way, say it all
Dan has said it all.
negative mentality,wise up bro.