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The Africa Cup of Nations starts in Ivory Coast on Saturday. Defending champion Senegal, host country Ivory Coast, record winner Egypt and the World Cup surprise team Morocco are considered major contenders for the title. Based on the squad’s market value alone, Ghana should also be considered one of the favorites. But before the start of the tournament there is a lot of tension surrounding the Black Stars.
There are currently a number of building sites in the team of coach Chris Hughton (65), starting with the Irishman himself. “The team has not really grown together since he was appointed coach,” reveals Ghanaian sports journalist Emmanuel Ayamga of ” Pulse Ghana”. . Hughton would not have been able to properly integrate talented and highly successful players such as West Ham star Mohammed Kudus (23) or Bilbao long-running favorite Iñaki Williams (29) into the team.
Soldiers are deployed to keep the media at a distance
The Black Stars’ offensive isn’t the only thing currently offering the potential for conflict. Three players claim the starting position in goal – one of them is Lawrence Ati-Zigi (27). If the St. Gallen fan favorite was still in goal during the 2022 World Cup, that should be over now. Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Richard Ofori (30) is expected to be in charge again at the Africa Cup of Nations. Ati-Zigi and Hibernian Edinburgh goalkeeper Joe Wollacott (27) would remain behind. But people are looking in vain for this decision for sporting reasons, as Ofori has not yet played a single competitive match for the club. “Zigi may have done well, but it seems like the coach favored Ofori because of his leadership qualities,” Ayamga said.
The criticism of the Ghanaian national team shortly before the start of the African Cup of Nations is harsh – too harsh? “The association currently seems to be of the opinion that the media is too critical of the national team. The association therefore shields the players and offers media speakers as discussion and interview partners. “That is disappointing for us,” says journalist Ayamga. Would you like an example? The Ghana Football Association banned all media from broadcasting the friendly match against Namibia. In line with this, soldiers were stationed in front of the stadium to prevent journalists from videotaping the warm-up.
The training boycott before the 2014 World Cup led to a pause
“The Black Stars actually still enjoy great support in the country. Many fans are slowly getting tired of being disappointed every year,” says Ayamga about the fans’ declining identification with the team. But it is not only the performances on the field, but also the actions off the field that drive a wedge between the fans and the team.
While Ghanaian football was still at its peak during the 2010 World Cup, in which they sensationally fought their way to the quarter-finals, there was not much left of it four years later. Some players did not want to play at the World Cup in Brazil due to a lack of payments and boycotted the final training before the final group match against Portugal. A no-go for many fans, as Emmanuel Ayamga says: “Many Ghanaians lost their love for the national team as a result. Some players are labeled as mercenaries who are more interested in money than giving their hearts to their country.
The association itself has also made great efforts in recent years to make itself unpopular in the country. In recent years he has been accused of corruption several times, for example in the nomination of players for the national teams. No one actually knows where the money that the Football Association receives from participating in tournaments such as the 2022 World Cup goes. At least not in terms of infrastructure, because it leaves much to be desired.
Yet there is great hope for a successful African Cup of Nations
“We have to change our mentality and our way of thinking,” criticizes ex-FCB star and 2010 World Cup hero Samuel Inkoom (34). Due to the poor conditions in the country, they even wanted to hold the preparation camp for the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. The public found this less funny and the association withdrew.
The mood is bad, the omens are bad – especially after Monday’s goalless main rehearsal against Namibia, 115th in the world rankings. No one really believes in the first win since 1982 – and many secretly hope that the continent’s fifth best team in terms of market value can finally get something done again. At least that is what the countless Black Stars shirts worn on the streets of Accra or in the offices of the ‘Pulse’ editorial staff suggest a few days after the start of the tournament.
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
