Brazil Here We Come Back (To Ghana) A Comedy Of Errors

Duke of Ephesus:
'Merchant of Syracuse, pled no more,
I am not partial to infringe our laws.
The enmity and discord which of late
Sprang from the rancorous outrage of your duke

To merchants, our well - dealing countrymen,

Who wanting guilders to redeem their lives,

Have seal'd his vigorous statutes with their bloods,

Excludes all pity from our threat'ning looks'

The Comedy of Errors
William Shakespeare.
 
Long after the Black Stars' ignominious defeat at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the jingles kept jingling: 'Brazil, here we come; Black Stars, we go do'. An anagrammatist in the making thought it should rather jingle: 'Brazil, here we come back to Ghana; Black Stars, we go lose'.

The remarkable thing in the story of the Black Stars' venture into the world this year, 2014, is best described as 'a comedy of errors': one episodic error after a tragic one. As the games progressed, Ghana first took it for granted that having whipped the United States of America twice before, the USA were 'cold - chop'. We had forgotten that the setting was not the same, the squad was different and the coach had been changed - from 2006 to 2010. And the composition of our own Black Stars had been varied.

How was the selection of supporters done? Joseph Yammin the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports provides the answer: membership of NDC.  Can one believe this? And come to think of it, Ghanaians going to watch matches in far -away Brazil at the expense of the taxpayer - you and me! Incredible! If it were a handful of officials and a few others who had contributed to football in the past - like Osei Kofi, Mfum, C.K. Akunnor -one would understand and appreciate the gesture. If there was ever an indiscreet explanation to an action, this one could pass for it. What type of prayer would the non - NDC supporters say for the Black Stars?

There were also reports that those who had gone to Brazil had no accommodation. So, what arrangements were made? It was a sorry sight to see Ghanaians packed in small cubicles. And some selected Ghanaian supporters, including Ayittey Powers, arrived in Brazil when Black Stars were preparing to come back home. They never watched a single Black Stars match.

After the loss of the Black Stars to USA on 16 th June the President could pick a pen to write: 'Let's keep facing forward: Stars can rise again 'to the press the following day. What a communicator!  To have had the time immediately after the match to write to the press- that was marvelous

Then there was this son of Abedi Ayew, called Dede Ayew, who would thumb his chest on scoring a goal in a demonstration that suggests: 'I have scored a goal; no one can do as I have done, I dare anyone to challenge me…' While acknowledging Abedi's vim, one is tempted to ask: where is team -work?

There was this player - agitation, leading to the indefinite suspension of Sulley Muntari and Kevin Prince Boateng. The managers had vowed to deal with indiscipline in the Black Stars. Kwesi Appiah explained the source of the player - agitation: 'In 2006 and 2010 World Cup, there were no money issues because they were paid before the competition but this time that was not the situation. And for players, if they play one, two games and they realized that monies are not coming as expected they will react and that was what really happened. 'So who or what engendered the player - agitation? Sulley Muntari was said to have asked, why the officials far outnumbered the players. And why did Sulley deal a blow to the body of Moses Armah?

When the die was cast and all hopes had been lost after the painful 1-2 defeat by Portugal, Kwesi Nyantakyi, the FA President attributed the failure of the Black Stars to cross the first round to the 'appearance fee syndrome.' Hear him: 'Money, money, money, money had been the refrain by the players and it is a pity that they allowed this to ruin our World Cup.' The player - agitation which was reduced to : 'we want cash, we want cash' was allegedly championed by alleged 'notorious gang of three' that included Sulley Muntari and Kevin Prince Boateng, the latter having had a face - off with his brother Jerome Boateng when Ghana met Germany. How had the administrators compromised their position of authority? Did they apply the 'carrot and stick' theory or principle properly? Where were the carrot of monetary recompense and the stick of eviction from the camp?

Kwesi Nyantakyi further explained: '…In spite of all promise to them that the Sports Minister had asked that physical cash be sent from Accra to satisfy their demands, these boys threw caution to the wind with all manner of behaviour … Because the money delayed in coming, they pronounced the Honourable Minister a liar and virtually banished him from coming to the team's base ….' Or were the player's right or wrong in asking how come the officials numbered as many as 47 the playing body was 23. And so 'physical' cash of three million dollars ($ 3m) had to be dispatched in a chartered plane or rather Presidential Jet to Brazil for distribution to the players! What! In this day and age of e-mail, e account, e - banking and other similar electronic banking services, for one to carry $3m in suitcases in a chartered plane or Presidential Jet destined for Brazil! What was the cost of transport? How was security provided? How was the news received by the host nation, Brazil? How has Ghana been portrayed in the international scene? And Ghanaians are itching to see the Hollywood movie to be produced by Bugeater Dan Mirvish and Barry Hennessey on the $3m World Cup drama. It was 'money - swine' as the administrators or managers bought coconut for $15, a piece and dancers were 'sprayed' with dollars bills. Those in doubt about the differential pricing of coconut can compare the prices of the commodity at Saltpond market and a coastal hotel in Takoradi.

So, John Boye, among others on receiving this bonanza spent the whole night counting and recounting to ensure that not even $1.00 had been taken off this $100,000 for VAT and other taxes. He might have spent the whole night making calls to friends, relations and well - wishers, confirming that 'sika no abedwa'. Given the exchange rate of $1.00 to GH3.20, the entitlement to each player (and official?) would come to more than GHC 300,000 and the old cedis would be C3 billion. What were they to do with their booties? Buy expensive commodities for themselves and their girl friends? Arrange to buy flashy cars? Or behave like Essien whose expensive wrist watch could have turned his father into a millionaire in Ghana, instead of the poor man living like a pauper till he was called to heaven or to purgatory, not hell. All these acts and thoughts overnight made it impossible for the players to 'concentrate' on the following day's match. And in a World Cup, lack of concentration for a split-second could spell doom for a team.

The President has ordered a probe into the whole saga of Black Stars in Brazil 2014. One hopes no one in the Presidency including the Chief of Staff and the Secretary to the Cabinet, writes to stop the committee from fulfilling its assignment.

In August 2001, Mallam Yusuf Issa, the Minister of Sports in the Kufour administration, was jailed for losing a 'small amount' he was carrying as a winning bonus for the team in Sudan.  It was court action, not just a mundane probe. Meanwhile, ere the probe the President had made political changes in the administration of sports. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the Minister of Youth and Sports had been moved to the Presidency and replaced by Mahama Ayariga. Joseph Yammin, the Deputy Minister of that Ministry had been shifted as the Deputy Minister of the Ministry had been shifted to Ashanti as the Deputy Regional Minister to replace John Alexander Ackon.

One cannot predict the kind of reception that will be accorded the new Deputy Regional Minister for Ashanti. One is reminded about the accursed statement of  Joseph Yammin to the effect that NPP was able to send the Black Stars only once to the World Cup (2006), but the NDC had sent them twice (2010 and 2014), Ashanti is the NPP stronghold… so you see the permutation, the link? Politics in football? Is anyone listening? Or is it the usual 'Yenntie Obiara' (We shall not listen to anyone)?

 
Africanus Owusu-Ansah
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