Baako calls for heads to roll in Black Stars camp row

“It is a mess…collectively, this is a mess. The leaders especially, the executives should take responsibility and resign, or the president should relieve them of their duties. It is a shame,” snapped Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr.

The Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper was commenting on current happenings within the camp of the Senior National Team, the Black Stars, at the on-going 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

On Monday, news went viral of a match-fixing scandal involving the Head of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi and others, which is feared could have a negative effect on the players.

Later on that day, it emerged that quite a good number of supporters got stranded at the airport and spent nearly 12 hours due to flight complications, other football fans even failed to get access to the Stadium and had to contend themselves with watching the matches on Television in Brazil.

Then on Tuesday, there were reports that the atmosphere in the Stars camp was very moody.

The players agitated over unpaid allowances on Tuesday which caused a three-hour delay of a bus waiting to convey them (players) to the airport on their way to Brasilia.

They threatened to boycott a trip to Brasilia as they protested the non-payment of appearance fees ahead of the crucial make or break match against Portugal in the ongoing FIFA World Cup on Thursday.

The situation was so volatile earlier in the day, prompting President John Mahama to intervene. The President is said to have promised that the amount would be paid by close of day, Tuesday.

Succumbing to pressures from the senior national team to pay them their allowance and appearance fees in cash, government chartered a flight from Kotoka International Airport to Brazil to carry the huge sum of money (over $3m) to the players.

Contributing to a panel discussion on Kokrokoo, Malik Baako described Ghana’s preparation for the World Cup as shambolic and "poorly" done, saying "somebody has to pay for it".

“Even organising the people in terms of supporters was problematic. It is so messy… after 57 years of independence and an experience in football as far as the World Cup is concerned? I will be shocked if they (executives) will come home without bowing their heads in shame”

Kweku Baako is of the view that those responsible for the ‘mess’; whether from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) or the Ministry of Sports must be held responsible.

He added that the behaviour of the players and the executives in Brazil have made him lose interest in their upcoming encounter with Portugal.

He was of the view that both players and executives in Brazil should have waited till after the tournament to bring such issues up so that they will be properly addressed.

“I am even demoralised to watch the match between the Black Stars and Portugal because of the issues that are coming up in their camp. In the course of a tournament when the chips are down, you make sure that issues that come up don’t embarrass your country…then afterwards they will be solved. But the greater portion of the blame is to those in charge (the leaders or executives),” he stated.