Muntari Sacked: Ghanaians Embrace Milovan's Decision

Black Stars head coach Milovan Rajevac has come to learn by experience that some people are difficult to reform in life as his effort to change Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari finally hit a snag. I wondered what on earth the Serb was trying to achieve by stooping that low to an extent of traveling down to Italy to meet Sulley Muntari after the player took a �French leave� ahead of Ghana�s friendly against Angola a few weeks back. Even when others wrote to apologize, Muntari never did and the GFA made everybody believe all the three apologized. How sordid! Some believed the coach was trying to talk to the Ghanaian Balotelli who feels more Italian via Sulley but that was where he went blatantly wrong, knowing he could still see Balotelli after approaching Inter coach Jose Mourinho. Anyway I don�t even think the Black Italian�s supposed meeting with Ghana �s coach was successful. The fact that Sulley failed to acknowledge the GFA official who tried to advice him to meet the coach meant he was ready for the worse. Stephen Appiah had a dinner with his coach Milovan in Italy and I understand he tried his maximum best to get his Sulley for the coach but he would not pick the call from the captain of the Black stars. GFA officials also tried to call him and his phone went dead. Milovan wanted to learn by experience and his two day stay and wait for the midfield enforcer in Italy must have taught him some lesson indeed. I just find it difficult accepting the authority of the coach over his charges ever since the three players went AWOL ( Absent Without Official Leave) and the man at the helm who is supposed to be a disciplinarian remained sheepish and mute until the GFA issued the sanctions against the players. Peanuts of fines ($5000 per player) were awarded the players and there was no word from the coach whether he was dissatisfied with their behavior; though naturally he could not be happy. Maybe the GFA consulted him before coming out with the punishment. You know what? I still doubt whether the three players would pay those fines inflicted on them; at least it is now clear Sulley was not going to mind the GFA and the so-called fine. The players had an ultimatum to pay the cost for their misdeed within a week which has expired. Then another thought came to mind whether it was not possible for somebody somewhere to cover these players by paying for them. We tend to condone indiscipline too much and that eats into the minds of our players bringing along its wake the monster called rowdiness. I know how submissive Sulley would be if pushed by Mourinho so there must be something intrinsically wrong with the player�s psyche when it comes to dealing with his own country; is he getting racially incorrect? I can�t find you an answer now but your guess is as good as mine. Sulley is even too Black to think superior among the Black Stars. No further comment on that one. Nonetheless, one would not be wrong to make the claim that authorities in charge of our national team has over pampered the players making them feel like gods in the team. On the brighter side, I think some level of sanity is beginning to prevail with the release of the squad for Angola 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. Sulley has been dropped and as if most Ghanaians were expecting it, the news was greeted with cheers by most people. There was no shockwave whatsoever as a lot of people felt the player deserved to be chopped off after he left the nation when the Stars lined up against Angola; some even found it unfortunate and inconvenient that the issue involved other players in Essien and Asamoah Gyan but like destiny, it was bound to come into being as the notorious player did it again. It will interest you to know I�m not the least happy about the turn of events as Ghana definitely need Muntari for the tournament in Angola but the action taken by the coach to ax him from the squad might sound some sagacity into the player that he is not as indispensable as his ego tells him. It is for this simple but very essential act of authority exhibited by the coach to drop Sulley after the player proved to be difficult that has caught me believing he is now in control of affairs. Perhaps it�s good this happens at this time so that others who feel like gods in the team like Sulley will learn to be human. On the issue of Stephen Appiah missing the Nations cup through injury, the �tornado� needs to take it cool as it�s only a blessing in disguise. This is not the end of life for him and the world cup should be his dream; it�s better to allow the younger generation to gradually take over. To all intents and purposes Appiah can�t play for Black Stars after the next world cup and the same players we don�t respect today will have to take up the mantle. I remember how he went sleepless over the days when Ghana hosted the Nations cup in 2008. This is the second time the patriotic captain is going to watch the biennial championship from the sidelines and that obviously must be very difficult for a player as passionate as Appiah. I recently made a point worth the hammer in a previous write up that injuries are inevitable in football and its not possible building a team around individuals. Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has been forced into the squad but the player is not fit yet and it�s only anticipated he recovers within time to give Ghana hope at the tournament. My worry is still here to haunt me and that is the fact that the Chelsea icon might only be half fit for the tournament. From the squad presented by Milovan, the message being sent across is crystal clear and that is, the coach wants substitutes for his regular stars before the South Africa 2010 world cup meaning Ghana should not be too ambitious of bringing home the Nations Cup trophy. Calling up six players from the triumphant Under 20 team who took the world by storm in Egypt recently constitutes a laudable move. My only problem is why goalkeeper Stephen Ahorlu keeps falling off the pecking order; maybe the authorities in charge of monitoring and selection have been watching a different league because locally I think Ahorlu is better than Dan adjei and Philemon McCarthy. Hey! I wish somebody tells Milovan that Haminu Draman is a midfielder and not striker. Again as the opportunity is being given the young boys, Ghanaians should encourage and pray for them to succeed in Angola . Who captains the team in Appiahs absence? If John Mensah stays fit then the mantle falls on him. He has a lot to do to combine the old and new. Now there is something interesting to note. Sulley Muntari feels disappointed as the Gfa did not find out what kept him away from meeting coach Milovan but what stopped Sulley from also telling the coach what kept him away. Maybe the FA is not interested in any more squabbles at this time as the Nations cup is just twenty days away; concentration is important. As a matter of fact, there is no valid excuse for dishonesty. Let�s support what the coach has gambled on, maybe we shall win with him. Sulley, do you have any more pleading strategies?