Kevin Prince-Boateng, bear the Ghanaian brunt!

This is a piece I did last year, October 2010.

"They are at it again. The armchair doom-mongers who glance at a decision, without seeing its coherent reasoning, and make a snap judgement about a person's choice. The locals are again hauling over coals on another character. Kevin-Prince Boateng is the latest to bear the harsh and often punitive brunt of the Ghanaian populace.

Having being injured playing for Milan, he sent an email to the Ghana Football Association to seek a no-appearance for Ghana’s date with Sudan at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi. Then the doubters rose from toe to top their flags waving that the young chap was taking us for a cheap ride. Some have been quick in jumping to the gun: 'when he wanted to show up at the World Cup after Germany rejected him, he quickly accepted an invitation to play for us. Now that his market value has skyrocketed for excellent showing at the mundial, he’s now trying to play “hanky-panky” games with us."

These fans are a fervent lot and seem more comfortable when consumed with a player’s pledge to the country, rather than euphoria sometimes. All they want is for a player to lace his boots with pride and play with sheer passion even through the pain barrier. Put your egos and medical concerns aside and play to their glare. You’ll hit an instant hero status if such is done. One wrong turn with your commitment though and you keep your eyes peeled for some fireworks. Or get ready to be shoved into the soccer-version of the Chile mines.

From casual football watchers to the most passionate of soccer devotees, Ghanaians have descended on Kevin’s actions and questioned his commitment to the national cause. They did same with Michael Essien when he decided to be relieved off his duties for the Black Stars albeit temporarily due to injuries yet met the ridicule and scorn of the soccer-loving fan. They simply take not even precious berries compared to your commitment level. For now, you might want to suggest that Kevin understands the drive that comes with playing for Ghana. The locals take nothing to showing pride in the national colours and being committed.

So here’s to those who questioned his commitment. And slapped him with the avaricious tag. 'There was no misunderstanding (with the Ghana FA). After the league game I felt a bit of pain on my hamstring” Boateng said. “So I decided not to go (for the game against Sudan) because I was not 100 percent fit. “For me there was no misunderstanding. There was an email to the Ghana Football Association that I can’t travel and I can’t play. “So for me it was clear and I stayed in Milan and I trained.”

Emphatic enough answer for me. We don’t need another one of our star players stressing their muscles in light of longevity for Ghana, especially when they are not fully fit. It was reverent enough of him to inform the GFA of his problem avoiding the shameful egregious snobbish stunt. I am sure if fully fit he’d have played against Sudan in Kumasi. For now, let’s spare him all the blatant, inane and inconsiderate insults. Really, we don’t want another Essien vacation; we can’t just meet the expense of it. "




And tis piece above was preceded by:



"The World Cup- arguably the greatest theatre of the game- has a colonnade of debates surrounding its neck like an albatross when its date draws close. The discussions and debates, which already are raging on with a few months to go, have players switching nationality as one of its loudest cries. The issue has hit elevated heights on the pages of newspapers, been on the mouthing radars of sports connoisseurs and to a larger picture caused a chit-chat on the literal liaison between the Ghana Football Association and FIFA. The question of chauvinism or opportunism, on a player’s intent to switch countries, has come under the limelight yet again this week for World Cup reasons.

Here, Africa Sports’ Isaac Koufie-Amartey looks at the infamous cases of Portsmouth’s Kevin-Boateng and Adam Kwarasey, the former Norwegian Under-21 goalie who, for want of switch of nationalities, have become talked-about items.
On the surface, only 32 nations would be represented at the FIFA World Cup mundial in South Africa, bringing with them their swarming fans, their raucous chants, their beautiful colours and their indigenous rhythms to liven up the streets of Johannesburg, Pretoria, Soweto and too many a city. But in a world where borders have less and a lesser amount of significance and people move around more without stinting than ever, this is by no means the whole story. A nippy scratch of the surface reveals a veritable mélange of nationalities and backgrounds at the finals. Ghana being one large inclusion!

Just another admirable addition to the Black Stars over-flowing abundance in midfield won’t hurt if that lad had shown promise and the muscles, vigor and affirmative ego to play at the top level. Even if it means backing on the heels of Sepp Blatter for months to sign the dotted lines of paperwork geared to see a certain Boateng pull on a Black Star shirt! Kevin-Prince Boateng has pulled up some stirring, heartening performances for a Portsmouth side that looks certain to have a bite of a Championship cherry next season. He’s proved his “ghetto” upbringing looks the exact opposite of his unsurpassed soccer skill and a passion and zeal to crack up standing ovation-like outings. Aside this show of promise and looking a fine count for team selection, his involvement in the national team set-up has taken a plunge. He would bend his knees, a lot would suggest, having his files signed, stamped and given clearance to feature for his new “countryside”. But that doesn’t sound cheap a talk! And that hasn’t left him of criticisms as well.

The playmaker almost certainly innate his talent: talk of a Ghanaian touch, his uncle was a Ghanaian international, and his grandfather is a cousin of legendary Germany star Helmut Rahn, scorer of the winning goal in the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final. Talk of talent, Boateng boasts exceptional ability, refined technique and a range of ball-juggling tricks. His skill and pace are complemented by advanced tactical awareness and a powerful physique. But all of these show of class doesn’t become a Ghanaian reality if a few situations stalls and stay the same.
Keeping clean sheets have somewhat looked the bane and blight of the Black Stars. A goalkeeper, to put a challenge on the justified first team place for Wigan’s Richard Kingston, would be welcomed in purely footballing terms. Starring for Stromgodset in the Norwegian top flight league, Adam Kwarasey, who’s played for the Under-21 side of his adopted country, has also seen stiff situations in his quest to play for Ghana. At 6ft 4in, Kwarasey is literally head and shoulders above Black Stars regulars Richard Kingston and Philemon McCarthy, who average 5ft 8in. He could well prove a proficient assistant for Kingston and just maybe pick up that solo slot to man the posts.

One issue that’s been stuck on the fronts of these two players is whether they coming with warm, earnest interests or with egotistic reasons. Kevin-Prince has been spat on with accusations that he is only an opportunist as he spurned the chance of playing for Ghana at the FIFA World Cup in Ghana waiting on a call-up by the German national team. Kwarasey also has had his share of the spoils by hands accusing him of not opening up to the Black Stars cause a long while ago and only doing so at this time for selfish reason.
Is their new theme-song to play for Ghana because of higher chances of playing at the championship in South Africa or a desire to share in the passion of a certain 23-million inhabitants? It’s an issue that never seems to be far away, and never fails to polarize public opinion. Your guess is worth an ear!"

Now you judge, if Kevin Prince Boateng has taken us for a ride!!

Glo 'Primary' League

Glo 'Primary' League!
Article by Koufie-Amartey Isaac

Like an incurable disease, our local premier league is still blighted with the dark-aged horror events of yesteryear's thus bringing to the fore it’s stinking, sinking reputation. Our version of the saint-like game (soccer) has been drawn from the English Premier League which has been branded the best soccer league in the world. But there is no jot of doubt that before earning this priceless accolade, certain things were done right to make it attractive in terms of packaging and lucrative in associating with it.

The English Premiership has the best sponsorship and marketing deals football can be associated with in the world. Partners and sponsors like Barclaycard and Sky TV (until recently being joined by Setanta Sports and eventually leaving the scene) have invested huge sums in broadcast rights and other marketing initiatives that have made England home to the best brand of football. What do we see in Ghana? Optimum Media Prime (OMP) is coughing up over two (2) million Ghana cedis into the league and yet nothing has changed in terms of professionalism and positioning.

The management of Ghana football has become a scarecrow to many an interested sponsor who would not want to associate themselves with the uncertainty and unfairness that surrounds our league. Until the court cases and board room wranglings which end up giving points to some clubs to change the order of individual club standings on the league table cease (Tema Youth, a distinctive example), many prospective sponsors will continue to hang on to their money bags.

The impunity with which some companies have resorted to ambush marketing and the glee with which they advertise their products and services at match venues against the ethics of modern day marketing is mind-blogging. As to whether they have the blessing of the powers that be, only the heavens know.

The English Premier League, again my reference point, would continue to the world's finest since its helmsmen have stuck religiously to the principles of marketing and advertising, syndication and production in order not to deny the competition's sponsors their due. The players are well-paid to contribute to the respective clubs in a spirit of competitiveness and backed by a rare sense of professionalism. Club owners over there are fully aware that soccer has shifted camps from being a passion of the nation to being the most sought-after profession with the highest returns and opportunities for personal improvement in the world.

In a country where superstition enjoys the pride of place in football, several reasons can be attributed to Ghana's inability to hold down our own against the other leagues in Africa but I believe poor organization, wrong decisions on the part of the top officials, unfaithfulness to signed-up contracts and poor sporting facilities have played a major role in this mess.

It behooves on the officials of our game to take advantage of the effervescent media landscape to hype our own version of the premier league to ensure that Ghana becomes an enviable brand of the game. The predilection for everything foreign soccer is also not helping matters and it is about time our sports journalist took a second look at the tilt in their reportage. Front pages, editorials and news items of most of the newspapers are exotic and issues bothering Europe play center-stage on our radio and TV stations at the expense of our local league.

Even after the then Onetouch Premier League found some space on Gateway Broadcasting Services (GBS); it still didn’t registered its presence on the minds of Ghanaians not to even talk about those in other countries. The ferocious attacking prowess of Alex Asamoah, sublime skills of Tawrick Jibril and intelligent pass-like-Scholes' attitude of Daniel Yeboah in the Glo Premier League last two year still remain in oblivion denying some of the good players the right exposure to play in the big wig leagues.

It’s been virtually the same this year with good players like John Bissah of Sekondi Hassacas, and Hearts of Oak's duo of Edwin Osei Pele Mahatma Otoo amongst others have been stabbed in the dark with virtually no one getting to know how good they are. Unlike fans of other leagues in Africa who abandon league centers in the midst of ostensible difficulties, our own Glo Premier League continues to enjoy the unflinching support of their followers even in the face of telling challenges. But is the religious support to blame for the seeming apathy on the part of the officials? I doubt such. It a pure, unadulterated case of neglect on the role of the fans.


But one thing that remains preposterous is the fact that the TV rights of our own league has been sold to a foreign company which operates a pay-per-view TV service when most of our local networks are free-to air. I sure am not against the fact that TV stations that get such rights should make the most of their investment but that should not override the desire of the people to enjoy their local leagues.

Our league is shown across Europe ( on BEN TV, a subsidiary of Sky TV) and on DStv and plans are far advanced to penetrate into the US soccer market by the start of next season in 2010 yet not a quip of news on our local stations come to mind. But I don’t blame the TV right owners that much. Some of the local stations have also developed the predilection for airing foreign matches and competitions without making any attempt to get the opportunity to telecast our version on what obtains elsewhere which they continue to make fetish of. The obvious lapse in the agenda setting role of the media needs a second look.

Until the football authorities make right all the dirty wrongs right with respect to sponsorship and TV rights, club officials pay player bonuses and seek lucrative insurance and health policies for its players', management don’t improvise on player welfare, airwaves are awashed with sports programmes around our leagues and soccer fans throng faithfully into stadiums, our league would always be pummeled to a pulp always by the pace-setters.