“ Tell me, what is happening to the Black Stars? Is this the team we have fallen in love with all these years?,” a Sudanese journalist asked in disbelief at the Stars’ hotel immediately after the qualifying match against The Sudan.

As a Sudanese, he should have found himself on cloud nine that his country had taken a big step towards qualifying for the 2002 World Cup by beating Ghana 1-0 at the Merrikh Stadium last Sunday.

However, like many of his compatriots who had not watched the Black Stars play in a very long time, he couldn’t believe the side that was outclassed that day was the revered powerhouse of African football.

Most Sudanese expected the Black Stars to teach their national team some very useful lessons in modern trends of the game. In other words, victory for the Black Stars was seen as a matter of course. If there was something they were not sure of, it was the margin of victory for the Stars. What they wanted to avoid was total humiliation in their own backyard.

The Sudan proved in the battle at the Merrikh Stadium that other countries have quietly been putting their house in order while we seem to be content with revelling in nostalgia.

The only professional in the team, James Justins, plays in the United Arab Emirates, yet they played such delightful football one couldn’t help seeing some amount of professionalism about all of them.

They played as if their very existence depended on the outcome of the match. The commitment they exhibited is certainly worthy of emulation by our players. Their passes were well-strung, they made sure they won almost all the fifty-fifty balls and never stopped running. Conversely, the Stars appeared hesitant to go in for hard tackles, and when they did they lost the ball in most cases.

Our midfield was nothing to write home about as the Sudanese took absolute control in that department. The result was sustained pressure on our defence that proved unyielding.

Goalkeeper Sammy Adjei, Amankwaa Mireku, Jacob Nettey, Stephen Tetteh and Samuel Osei Kuffour stood tall. But for his momentary indulgence in misdemeanour, Osei Kuffour would have come out of the match with a very big plus on account of good performance.

Emmanuel Osei Kuffour, hero of the CAF Champions League, failed to glitter just as little was seen of Joe Ansah, probably due to unusual roles assigned them. Upfront, Emmanuel Duah epitomised grit as he very often took on the Sudan defence in solo moves. In one such move Duah caught the Sudan defence virtually asleep and almost succeeded in punishing them for that.

The goal-bound shot ricocheted off the post and it was clear if another Stars attacker had been around, he would have buried the ball without any problem. Duah didn’t hide his disappointment as he complained bitterly after the match about his colleagues’ failure to give him the needed support.

Baffour Gyan was also a delight to watch. He often dazzled the defence of the opponents with his swift runs and dribbles. But for an unpardonable miss when he was well-positioned in the opponents’ six-yard box, it would have been a day of absolute glory for him.

Very little was seen of the predatory instincts of Ishmael Addo that made him the most feared striker, alongside Emmanuel Osei Kuffour, in the CAF Champions League. Some observers were of the view that the two players who have professional contracts beckoning them didn’t want to risk any injury.

The Stars certainly played a better game than they did against the Lone Star in Accra, but there is no denying the fact that the team is still far from the stuff that guarantees World Cup participation. We have a very long way to go.

Believers in miracles still think the door to Korea/Japan 2001 has not been shut in our face yet, but one thing is certain: it is going to be a very, very hard road to travel.

Perhaps that dream can only become a reality only when fundamental changes take place in player attitude, especially in the area of commitment, and sound planning.