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21.11.2015 Feature Article

Asamoah Gyan and co.--- You have the right to refuse national call

Asamoah Gyan and co.--- You have the right to refuse national call
21.11.2015 LISTEN

My humble appeal to captain Asamoah Gyan and his team mates in the Black Stars is that, they have the right to refuse calls to the national team. Its their right and no one can take that from them. This is because it is becoming increasingly difficult for the government to meet their demand of $10.000 winning bonus each time they play for Ghana. The country cannot afford, it so my advise to them is they should stay at their clubs and make their millions. Before they were invited for the first time, the Black Stars were playing and winning matches. I wish the players can justify by show of a trophy in the last 10 years, the huge investment the government and people of Ghana have made in them by way of winning bonuses and appearance fees. They have been a drain on the economy and what they have brought is embarrassment, shame and disgrace.

The current Black Star players have been treated with kids gloves regarding their bonuses and its about time a government official tell them that they can refuse to honor their invitation. Its always been an honor and patriotic duty to stand in the national jersey or colors and sportsmen and women are rewarded. During the presentation of the 1978 African Cup of Nations Cup at the Accra Sports Stadium the then Head of State ,Col I K Acheampong promised each of the 23 hardworking and skillful players a house each. None of them had it till this day. These were the gallant and patriotic men who were prepared to sacrifice every ounce of their sweat for the country.

I remember also during the 1977 Ghana/Nigeria sports festival during the final match between the Black Stars and Green Eagles ,the then captain of the Stars Kwasi Owusu and goaltender Emmanuel Okalla jumped for an air ball and when they landed Okalla slapped Kwasi Owusu in the full glare of all Ghanaians including the Head of State and his Special Assistant Simpe Asante. Kwasi Owusu did the most honorable thing by saluting the keeper. This is a person I call patriotic .

Lionel Messi,Christian Ronaldo, Samuel Eto among other world class players make their money from club side and not from their countries. Recently Yaya Toure of Ivory Coast has turned down a national call ,I , encourage the Black Stars, players to follow his example, instead of "hold the country to ransom"

The real cause of their agitation for demanding these outrageous bonuses, is that members of the GFA and the Executive Committee who are the real beneficiaries of the bonuses, do not have the moral courage and discipline to educate these uneducated and unpatriotic players about Ghana's economy. This is, because any amount agreed on for the players ,they get equal amount. Some of them including Kwesi Nyantekyi and George Afriyie own and runs local clubs. I challenge the 2 of them to tell Ghanaians which of them pay their players monthly salary up to $200.00 ,(GH7,8 Million) not to talk about winning bonuses. The current team players with the exception of Dede, Jordan and a few of the players who have switched nationality ,the rest should tell Ghanaians how much they were earning before they travelled. I knew and saw them . We have followed the game before most of them were born, so I know everything am talking about and sports was my elective . The leadership of GFA have woefully failed the nation because of their selfish interest of only helping the players to milk the country. They have helped the players to grow wings. I doubt if the GFA has any integrity or morals because George Afriyie has been appointed vice president, with impunity, even though the White Paper specifically recommended that he should not come near any of the national team because of his dishonesty. Recently the executive committee members were paid $15.000 ex gratia . They claimed its their money and can chose how to use it. I encourage them to tell Ghanaians how they generated the amount. They are a group of dishonesty and dishonorable .

Am very well disappointed with both the Sport Minister and his deputy, who do not have the moral courage to tell them in plain language the economic situation but keeps beating about the bush. The president is equally at fault because even though these unpatriotic boys have disrespected him so many times he will always give order from above to satisfy their demands. I used to have a high respect for them but within the last few weeks am very disappointed that they carried physical cash for the players for the Rwanda away match as well as pay them $10,000 winning bonuses against the recommendation of the Presidential Commission and the White Paper. Its a shame

Its becoming an affront, embarrassing and disgraceful the irresponsible manner this current team has been holding the nation to ransom because of passion of football in Ghana. The players have disrespected and ignored pleads from as high as the president, Asantehene ,Sports Ministers and persons they could not have come near but for the fact that they are players. How can they justify their patriotism if they demand $10.000 winning bonus against Comoros when they are the 177 on the FIFA rankings. A few years ago when Alhaji Muntaka the them Minister attempted to plead with them their response was then he should get his wife and family to play for Ghana .That was when most of the players should have been discipline but no one is able to control their ego and pride. Again in Brazil during their agitation for their appearance fee whilst the whole Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, was begging them, that he had the president John Mahama on the phone, and wanted to talk to them, they ignored both the minister and the president and we call these players patriotic ? Am going to repeat they can refuse national call if the money is not enough.

Nigeria recently posted on the government website. To whom it may concern. It reads the government can afford a flat rate of $5,000.00 as winning bonus and as such any player who feels is not enough can refuse the national duty. It was not debatable and none of the players have refused a call. We have pampered these current players for far too long making them think they are invisible.

The Nigerian president, has even made it better for the country with a new order for all their national team players to open account with any commercial bank in Nigeria and they will be paid in naira since they work for Nigeria and anyone who works for Nigeria earns naira and President John Mahama can learn from his counterpart . All these orders are not debatable so the players the right to refuse national calls but so far none has turn its back on the country.

Asamoah Gyan and co should be mindful, that there was a generation of players before them and without them playing for Ghana, nothing will happen to the anyone or the country. Before we qualified for the World Cup, Ghana as never lost on any thing and in any case ,apart from the appearances what do we pride ourselves with. In the last 10 years what are our achievements as a team. Nigeria, Cameroun, Algeria, Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Egypt have all made appearances.

Ghanaians abroad are a laughing stock whenever the Brazil 2014 is been discussed because they forced the president to do the unthinkable by air lifting almost $ 4million to pay for their appearance fees of $100.000 for the 23 playing body and the so many technical team as well as the management team members. This was very humiliating but because they know no shame and have thrown civil manners to the dogs, they continue with their greedy demand on the already suffering Ghana economy. I live comfortable abroad but my heart is in Ghana hence my concern

In the late 90s Accra Hearts of Oak under the chairman of Dr Nyaho Tamakloe. sacked 22 senior players of the team for been indiscipline and have become uncontrollable. He recruited young players from the reserved side as well as from other places and named them the Musical Youth and till this day the team has been in existence. It was this exercise, emerged Shamo Quaye, Leonard Moffat ,Ablade Kumah among others who represented the country at the highest level in Africa and the world.

Last year after the World Cup, I wrote to advise the government to do a good groundwork to remove the Kwesi Nyantekyi from contesting another term because he is the reason for all the problems of the team but both Ayariga and Ahmed have looked unconcern for this unscrupulous persons to kill the interest and passion of Ghanaians to the extent that the GFA have to campaign on radio stations for patronage. Since when has anyone appealed to Ghanaians to watch the Stars.

I want to make Nyantekyi aware they have destroyed Ghana football and the government has given room for it to happen.

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