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Sports Features of Saturday, 9 February 2013

Source: Raymond Yeboah

Songo is fighting a lost battle

Criticism becomes fruitless when it lacks facts and is just raw.

The way Country man Songo as he call himself is attacking GFA Capo Kwasi Nyantakyi after the demise of the Black Stars at the 2013 Afcon tourney, I do agree with some Ghanaians’ opinion that Nyantakyi might have refused Songo some material request in the past.

Songo before coming on Multi TV’s ‘Fire for Fire’ programme, was not Nyantakyi's critic until his alleged ‘wee’ smoking arrest then he started this nonfactual criticisms and attacks on the man whose achievement for Ghana football always remain unprecedented.

The failure of Black Stars at the ongoing Nations’ Cup has got nothing to do with Nyantakyi’s achievements as FA President. Songo talks as if he didn't had enough training as a sports journalist. Criticism shouldn't be raw, it makes some of us feel he hates and envy the man. As a sports journalist you don't have to work with your stomach and every well endowed sports analyst in this country would agree with me that Songo's attacks on Nyantakyi seems to be a sponsored and plot thing by an undercover guru who is refusing to expose himself.

The bashing of any federation at a tournament only comes where they refused to do their best to motivate the team but in the case of Nyantakyi and his Executive Committee there was no point we heard in South Africa that players are divided on motivational packages.

The players and the technical team must face the criticism because what Ghanaians wanted was what Nyantakyi demonstrated by appointing a local based coach in the person of a former international player, Kwasi Appiah. I don't think players’ selection and tactics should be the duty of Nyantakyi if Songo doesn’t know.

Let’s take the Togolese FA for an example. Emmanuel Adebayor was able to justify why he rebelled against their federation because they once hijacked their supposed wining bonus given to them by the Moroccan Federation after a friendly match. This is what we call a proper criticism, has Nyantakyi done that before? l am also beginning to agree with another school of thought that Songo is always on the case of Nyantakyi's administration because he refused to give Communication directorship position to a local sports presenter and gave it to then BBC sports presenter Sanni Daara. If this is true, envy is what is driving Songo crazy. How can any of the local sports presenters like Songo compare themselves to Saani Daara?

lf Songo doesn't know Nyantakyi's astute position in African football, the likes of being WAFU President, CAF Executive Committee member somehow did the trick for Ghana in reaching the semi finals of tournament. You could see that Ghana had fair share of officiating because the referees were scared of cheating the team.

So Songo, learn because the man you are criticizing daily is on course with his good works and no wonder, President Mahama has promised to help the FA to progress in their activities.