Football's Day Of Shame

The last time I heard of a cricket score line in Ghana football was a mythical story that has it that the Black Stars of Ghana lost by 100 goals to one (1) to their Indian counterparts. In that myth of a game, the goal scorer for Ghana was said to have died soon after scoring the goal. Since then I have not heard of a score line like the ones recorded in the matches involving the division one sides whose games have become the subject of debate. These cricket scores could even make the tails of dogs wag.

Ghana football has seen some good developments in recent times only for the likes of Nania FC and Mighty Jets to send it back to the doldrums of soccer’s lowest ebb. There have been stories of matches of convenience but I guess what Nania F.C. and Mighty Jets have done beats them all, and for that matter qualifies for the nomenclature, “Mother of all Controversial Score lines.” I guess the brouhaha that has characterized these Division One games involving the likes of Nania FC and Okwawu United on the one hand, and Mighty Jets and Great Mariners FC on the other, could not have been much more expected as there cannot be any reasonable excuse that could convince the Ghanaian public.

In those matches, Nania F.C. beat Okwawu United by 31-0 goals to nil while Mighty Jets recorded a 29-0 victory over Great Mariners F.C in Cape coast. What is interesting about these games was that as of the half time, Okwawu United were down by a goal to nil, only for the team to concede 30 goals in the second half. Similarly, Mighty Jets were up by a goal in the first half. They took a 3-0 lead before the 55th minute, while Nania scored around that same time. I guess by the 60th minute the score was 5-0 in favor of Mighty Jets and 2-0 in favor of Nania F. C. What then happened within the remaining 30 minutes of the game that made these two teams score so many goals? So, we have such good goal scorers and the Black Stars still have a goal scoring problem. I was really surprised at the final score lines, and if someone had told me such score lines could happen in modern day football, I would definitely think it was American football.

We are told that Okwawu United had exhausted their substitution at a time four of their players were injured including two of their goalkeepers. Of course, it is possible to have four players injured in a game, for that matter two keepers injured. The Black Meteors had to travel that path when the likes of Ibrahim Dossey had to take turns in keeping the post in one of their matches in 1996. Chelsea has had to do that this season, too. Thus, considering that these players could not play anymore, Okwawu United had no choice but to play minus those players. What I am yet to come to terms with however, is that considering what was at stake in that match, I am of the view that there are more questions than answers in these controversial, yet shameful developments in our football. It is true that Okwawu had nothing to play for because they were already out of contention for a spot in the elite football; however, why would a team that was supposed to be depleted, hurriedly, go for the ball, send it to the center of the field, and restart the game anytime they conceded a goal? Why would they keep playing the ball backwards as if they were their own opponents? I watched Nigeria and Ghana play Eritrea in the just ended African U-17 tournament and it was obvious that these Eritreans had some competitive spirit.

Many of the people who have commented on these developments have been accused of putting the cart before the horse because the GFA is still investigating the sets of teams who were involved in these events. Obviously, every suspect is innocent until proven guilty. I believe in the refrain “guilty as charged,” however, unless, of course, these teams can come up with good reasons or pardonable excuses, I think they will have a tall order. I say this because, had one team or a set of teams recorded such a cricket score line, with the other set recording a lower score, there could be some excuses but not when the goals were being scored at will with the connivance of the opposing teams, as if some manner was falling from heaven. From what we are told, when Nania scored, the players of Okwawu United quickly picked the ball to the center to pass. They then passed the ball backwards as if they were blind, in order for the Nania players to score. This was the trend that characterized the games. Soon after the World Cup, some Italian teams were relegated to the lower divisions for various forms of offences, ranging from match-fixing and other sports related negative behavioral tendencies. As I write, Juventus, one of the teams that suffered from the Italian FA’s action is languishing in the lower division for manipulating the Italian league. Ironically, Mr. Abedi Pele, the coach and financier of one of the teams, Nania FC was at Olympic Marseille, when they were found guilty of similar offences. Jean-Jacques Edeylie, Jacques Glassman, and others never recovered from this. I am surprised these events have happened at a time Abedi is part of the Nania team.

Interestingly, at separate press conferences in Accra, chieftains of Nania FC and Mighty Jets reacted to the public outcry claiming that they had been handed raw deals. How funny! When was the last time they recorded such score lines in a match? Why was it not in any other but in the final matches of their quest to get into the elite division of Ghana football? Why were such cricket score lines simultaneous and in hurried fashion?

Abedi Ayew Pele, head coach and founder of Nania FC, denied playing a match of convenience with Okwawu United whose officials he claimed, “I don’t know. I don’t know who their coach is and I don’t know who is in charge of administration,” he added. The Maestro stated that the first half and first 10 minutes of the second half was competitive but what proved the bane of their opponents was the injury to their (Okwawu’s) four players including the two goalkeepers. He continued that as a former footballer who carved a niche for himself, he said, “I will not engage myself in any act that will bring the image of the game into disrepute.” This is where I was caught in Mr. Ayew’s trap. This is a man I have so much respect for, and whose games I still watch because of his nimble-footedness and dedication to the national cause. I hope what he said is true, if not, I will be very disappointed.

However, Abedi was heard on JOYFM stating that he left the stadium soon after his team had scored 5-0 because, in his own words, there was no lifeline for Okwahu United. But did Abedi actually leave the stadium? His own brother Solar Ayew said that after the game Abedi was carried shoulder high, so where was that? Did he return soon after the game? Did they go to his house to do that? At the press conference, he said at one breath that the situation was regrettable, yet in another he was defending himself all over the place.

Meanwhile, Oduro Nyarko said on a radio station that he also left the stadium before the game ended yet, on another network, he said he was stunned and stuck to his feet and could not move till the end of the game. As I have indicated, there will be a motley of questions until this case is finally put to rest. It is quite unfortunate that these issues are coming up at a time Ghana football seems to have picked the pieces it threw away for over a decade (if not more). Isn’t it funny that at a time that the GFA seems to have got it right, and appears to be helping the national teams to regain their spots in African and world football, and especially advancing the cause of the senior team to win the World Cup in the next few years, other teams who should form the bedrock of the national teams have found it worthy to create problems? I will keenly be following this story to its logical conclusion.

I am very happy that the FA has taken the first step of bringing charges against these teams; at least that will afford the teams to defend themselves and make the FA take a decision. Now, it is up to the likes of Abedi and his counterparts to do the defending. What I am scared, though, is a potential threat of conflict of interest that might hamper investigations into this issue. It looks as if every GFA member is either a financier or chairman of a team either in the lower or the elite division so how can the GFA investigate the GFA? That is my biggest concern! I suspect that if others fall, they would drag others along into the pit of hell. They would not do so alone but others will have questions to answer too.

Anyway, let’s take it that the FA will be fair in this investigation; in that case, stiffer punishments should be handed to these teams. It should be a matter of rule that should any team be caught compromising the competitive nature and fair play spirit of the domestic game, it will be relegated to the lower divisions—preferably the fourth or fifth division if ever there is one. Other punishments like fines or point deductions should only be secondary. I would be terribly disappointed if Mr. Abedi Ayew Pele were found to have been involved in any wrong doing in this case because that will be very unfortunate. For now, let me be the observer that I have been. The author is a sports analyst and a social commentator (on a variety of issues). Also, the text for this piece is set to American English.

Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.