Group B: Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Zimbabwe and
Group C: Ivory coast, DRC, Morocco, Togo.
The Black Stars of Ghana has been on a major competitive tournament winning drought especially, the Africa cup. The last glory of the Black Stars is as far back as 1982 when it won the most coveted trophy on the African football stage in Libya. Since then, the Black Stars has struggled on many occasions to come up tops in its AFCON campaigns.
Though, the Black Stars has chalked quite enviable successes in its recent appearances in the FIFA World Cup finals. The closest it has come in the Africa Cup of Nations after 1982, is the first runner-up position in Senegal 92, Angola 2010 and Equatorial Guinea 2015.
But, Ghanaian football enthusiasts are unsatisfied with the empty records of the senior national team and want it bring the jinx or better still, the thirty-four year old trophy-less virginity to an end. The cabinets of the GFA have been starved of trophies for far too long!
The Black Stars has suffered widespread lack of interest and confidence by Ghanaian supporters. This is as a result of the 2014 World Cup brouhaha and the issues that emanated from that fiasco. Nonetheless, members of the playing body, the technical men and fans of the Black Stars are upbeat about the upcoming football festival in Gabon. Without key players like Kwadwo Asamoah and others, the rest of the players should work hard and give out their utmost best for success in Gabon. If they are able to do so, they will immediately win back their respects, especially, when Ghana has just come out of general elections where many hearts were wrecked. At least, if not a trophy, but good and entertaining games by the Black Stars will give some solace or consolation to this section of Ghanaians.
Despite the above hopes, some Ghanaians have expressed worries of varying degrees about the reason in a season like this, for the management of the Black Stars to pitch camp for pre-training and trial matches in UAE. Some Ghanaians believe that, the Black Stars is not going to engage in any serious camp training exercises when they leave Ghana for Dubai, after January 1, 2017. While, their contenders in group D will be camping on the continent, they will be "chilling off" far away in the Middle East of Arab Gulf. This is evident in the pronouncements of the GFA spokesman's media briefing yesterday. That, whilst in Dubai, they will not engage in high profile friendly matches, for possible fears of injuries and exhaustion. If what Mr. Sani Diara said is to be believed, then, I think the Black Stars has no business for camping in Dubai. And, again, Ghanaians should demand answers to the budget of their pre-tournament camping in Dubai. Especially, when Uganda, one of the group members who are said to also, pitch camp in UAE and have submitted a whopping sum of $ 1 million to cater for their hotel bills and expenses in the tournament.
On the other hand, Mali is said to be setting camp in Casablanca, Morocco and in line for pre-tournament friendlies, is Burkina Faso - a participant for AFCON 2017. Egypt Football Association also says, they will camp in Egypt play friendly matches with other participating countries and leave for Gabon three days to the tournament. So, what prevents the Black Stars from taking same or similar austerity measures most essentially, after the GFA was rocked with 2014 World Cup $ 5 million scandal. I am just thinking aloud!
So far, if history is anything to go by, the Black Stars has the least records for the last encounters amongst the group D competitors. In not less than four months ago, the Black Stars hosted Uganda for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in Tamale and performed abysmally disgracefully. Days afterward, traveled to Cairo for a trashing 2:0 defeat in the hands of the Pharaohs. Remember the Black Stars camped in Dubai before that match. For Mali, the last time the Black Stars came face-to-face with them was the 2013 AFCON, where they beat Ghana 3:1 to pick up the second runner-up position in that tournament. So, what at all is the motivation for Black Stars' camping in Dubai? Is it to acclimatise themselves with the weather conditions in Gabon or the sheer luxury of it. I do not understand this! If it is for acclimatisation purposes, then, they are equally less expensive cities or countries in Africa where the Black Stars can have its pre-tournament preparation, training and trials. Why do we want wanton dissipation of the poor tax payer's money like me?
With the hazy harmattan weather conditions in Ghana, one is unsure about the weather conditions in Gabon. But a quick search on the internet reveals that, around this time, "Gabon has the moist, hot climate typical of tropical regions. The hottest month is January, with an average high at Libreville of 31 °C and an average low of 23 °C". This meteorological information is in sharp contrast to the weather conditions in Dubai within the period of the tournament.
"Throughout November and December, Dubai experiences an autumn of sorts when the rainfall vastly increases. This is massively enhanced come January and February, which are the wettest months of the year".
With the above history, is the GFA ready to write a better story for itself? Well, let's wait and watch, your supposition will be as good as mine.
Thnx!!!
Naa Gbewaah Sidiq's folder.
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