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24.06.2005 Sports News

Osafo Marfo -"Nuff Respect For Stars Victory"

24.06.2005 LISTEN
By Mr. CNN-Mensah

Hon. Yaw Osafo Marfo, MP for Akim Oda, former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and the current Sports minister deserves credit for the transformation of the Black Stars from being the butt of jokes to a great and hardworking bunch of international, dedicated and unified football players.

He had some successes at his former portfolio and he is a hardworking Ghanaian and must be proud of all his achievements.

One can always tell when a person loves sports and he can put his heart and soul into it when given the opportunity to run with it. In January, Ghanaweb was in Ghana to cover the well publicized Kotoko/Hearts match after the Presidential inauguration and banquets.

One of the distinquished guests who accompanied the Vice President Aliu Mahama and the then former Education and Sports Minister, Hon. Baah Wiredu to the event was Hon. Marfo. He and the sports ministers wore customized red, gold, green shirts with a black star in the middle. That shirt looked beautiful and patriotic. From what I gathered at the event, he loved sports and it was no surprised when he was given that portfolio. H has fused his expertise and success from being a great finance minister to running the Sports and Education ministry as a corporate entity and not just a gimmick.

When he took over the portfolio, sports and education were in disarray. Nyaho Tamakloe was in "tit for tats" with a "boat load of" sport council members who thought he was probably too much and he thought probably they were always intruding is his day to day running affairs of GFA. Coach after Coach came and disappeared like the Black Star was a Motel 6 destination. Morale was bad and then FIFA heard about the shenanigans and stepped in.

Some recommendations of structuring were made and Osafo Marfo is putting "God damn" his foot down to raise the image of the sports industry in general. He is running the sports ministry as a corporate American style of "no nonsense tolerated, just get to work or you are out" . Too much politics has destroyed morale in the ministry. Why can't people just get along and work together in unity and succeed together. It is always the pointing fingers and bite biting.

Osafo is probably finding strategic ways to make the Black Star coach; Ratomir Djukovic gets the necessary tools and support he needs for Black Stars to be successful. It is encouraging hearing from Black Star captain; Stephen Appiah attributing to teamwork for the success of the team. A quote from the player to BBC Sport goes;

"The most important thing is unity - you can have 20,000 Maradona's or 10,000 Pele's but without unity they can't do anything,as he told BBC Sport.

"We have unity and respect", "The players have a friendship - when we are together, you can't tell if one plays professional soccer locally or abroad. "We do everything together".

"He offered praises to his coach; "He respects each and every player and is a confident man, we like the way he trains and he also jokes with us".

"He treats all the players together. He doesn't take any nonsense; even if you were Zidane and misbehavied, you will be reprimanded.

Supposing Osafo Marfo was not in good terms with the coach and always at his neck giving him too much pressure to deliver, do you think morale would be boosted and the Coach will be able to work in harmony with all the players?

If the Black Stars had lost, Osofo Marfo's head will be ready for the executioners to have it for breakfast and the media would be the first to let it be known.

It is now his time to get the credit he deserves and let us all offer him full support for the Black Stars to win the last two matches. This has nothing to do with politics whether majority or minority. It is Ghana's interest at the forefront.

Hon. 'Yaw Oyeadeyie' Osafo Marfo is a genius and operation six points has my full support.

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