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Sports Features of Monday, 21 December 2009

Source: Ransford Peprah

Sulley Muntari’s Untold Story

We reside in overseas. What do we do when we want to visit even just an ordinary person? Don't we call and make the person aware of our intention before we visit? Do you go to a person's place un-announce?

I know Milovan is white; however, what I didn’t know about him is the fact that he has adapted the African way very quickly. Going to see someone without informing him, doesn’t work in anywhere.

First of all, many people are trying on this Mario Balotelli’s issue including Appiah, Muntari and Essien. The one closer to Balotelli is Muntari, believe it or not. He is the one who interacts with Mario often even, I will say, more than the young forward’s biological parents. In other words, if you are going to meet someone you don't know from Adam’s house,

what would be the appropriate thing to do? Wouldn't it be a good idea to contact the one who is closer to him before you get there? Some GFA executives refused to contact Muntari, even though, he read the article from Ghanafa.com that the coach was coming to Milan to see Balotelli.

According to a GFA insider, the coach arrived in Milan, tried to get to Mario Balotelli without alarming the young man of his visit which made the Inter Milan forward furious. Therefore, he snubbed the idea of meeting the coach. Muntari was contacted after words and he as well told the coach of his plans for the week.

Folks, the coach didn’t travel all the way to Italy to chart with Muntari and that was a true statement. Milovan went for Balotelli and when things didn’t go his way, he switched the cannel to Muntari, who had prior engagements for those two days. GFA wouldn't admit they messed up due to the amount spent during the trip. Ask them and the truth will come out.

According to Milovan, before his departure to Italy, whom did he say he was going to meet? Was it Muntari or Balotelli? Please folks go back to www.ghanafa.org and re-read that article ones more. To my knowledge, the coach's intention was to go and have face to face talk with Balotelli without informing Ali Muntari.

I'm trying to draw your attention to what has not been told to the public. If the coach went to Europe with the country's hard earned currency for a mission, to try to talk to Balotelli but not Muntari, however, came back with a story as Muntari didn't give him the opportunity for them, he and Muntari, to meet, what was he creating? Whose fault was it?

Why Muntari has to be blamed in the process? Yes, the coach tried to patch things up with Muntari at Milan; however, that wasn’t the point. The point was both Milovan and GFA didn’t allow Muntari to know that the coach would be there and would need his help in terms of talking to Balotelli.

Did Milovan go to Europe for Muntari or Balotelli or both players? Did he even mention the name Muntari in the statement he made before departed to Milan? This is why I’m kindly begging all readers to re-visit Milovan's article prior to his departure.

Moreover, the article that indicated Muntari has been axed from the CAN squad due to disciplinary action, didn't come from the FA's site. According to the author, a source from FA narrated the story. Whether the story was true or not, none of us including the author of that article had any clue how that happened.

Why do you think a delicate issue such as this one, Randy Abbey hasn't come out with his usual “con speech”? What is taking GFA all these times to back up the story if it was exactly what happened during Milovan’s trip? Most Ghanaians hate Muntari already and it comes from the top, GFA executives. Let’s face it, it is obvious.

Therefore, all it took was just an article to say, he refused to render an apology. When someone wants to dent your image, it doesn't take much. This is what is happening at the moment to Sulley Muntari. Guess what, our wishes are not God’s. Therefore, he will certainly bounce back because this is not his first. Yes, he is someone who speaks his mind; however, of late, have you heard anything from him? People are constantly asking why is he not coming out to defend himself?

For what, I may ask? You mean for us to insult him more? What has he done to deserve such humiliation from his own country? We're crucifying him and expect Super Mario to consider our proposal? Are you kidding me? We hardly spare our own!

If we heard that Muntari refused to render an apology, then a piece of the story was either deleted or was not told. Please pay attention to this because when we don’t understand something, to me, asking questions is not presented in my vocabulary as sin or does not make me arrogant.

When has GFA charged a single Black Stars player as a disciplinary action? Have we asked GFA whether it has something on paper that indicates this rule? Even if GFA has rules and regulations, which it doesn’t, similar to the one imposed on these three players, when did it first take effect?

Has GFA ever forced that on any player before? Let us assume this is its first time, has GFA sent a copy to each player as well as the executives to sign or even to note? Again, if this is the first time GFA is implementing this rule, is it going to apply on every player from now on? These were the questions Mr. Ali Muntari asked which GFA totally ignored.

My fellow Ghanaians, those who insulted or accused Muntari for no reason, I will ask you to put your feet in Muntari’s shoes and tell me if you wouldn’t have asked similar questions or even more? These were the questions, Sulley asked and nothing else.

To be frank, he never said he wasn’t going to pay the money or render the apology. In case we forgot, Essien, Asamoah Gyan and Muntari are not the same. They are unique in their own ways, therefore, will react to issues differently.

Why do you think Asamoah Gyan sent his apology immediately he reached his base but Essien and Muntari didn’t do the same? Why do you think Essien waited after GFA announced their punishment before he sent in his apologetic note but Muntari didn’t?

Here is the case, to pay for anything, a penny or a cent and to top it with an apology or to obey any rule, your questions have to be answered. Folks, the ice age generation has long wiped out. We are no longer under slavery to do whatever we are told without asking questions.

Essien didn’t render his apology himself and this is what most of you din’t even know. It was his agent who rights the wrong without asking any question due to Essien’s reputation. Why do you think GFA decided to ignore Muntari’s questions? Is it because GFA disciplinary committee has no rule whatsoever regarding such a monetary punishment?

This is the reason Muntari’s apologetic note hasn’t come in yet. The player didn’t say anything to hurt the country or anyone. To him, when a rule is to be applied, no one should be exempted. In simple print, if a law is altered by an authority, it is okay because it will benefit the team. On the other hand, it should be applied to all players from that day onwards.

This was what some executives among GFA disciplinary committee didn’t want to hear, because according to them, a player has no right to tell them what to do. As I mentioned, Muntari will send his apologetic note and I could bet you that these same executives will try to reject it because it is not about the money or even the apology. To them, it is about POWER, which to me, they have no interest in solving any Muntari’s case just because the country can “cope without Muntari,” as one article mentioned.

Let me ask, which player in the Black Stars team, the country cannot cope without his services? That was a no, no statement but you know what, I will leave it for now. Yes, we have Kwedwo Asamoah; therefore, we can sing “we don’t need Muntari’s” song forgotten the fact that having both players in our possession is an opportunity some countries in this world will cherish? If you would ask me, I would say we need Muntari than Dede and Opoku Agyman combined because going through the Under 20 WC games and Muntari’s day in and day out games, the two youngsters hardly come back to support their defensive liners which is the opposite when it comes to Sulley. It is one of his qualities.

Therefore if the problem could be solved, GFA should look into it and make it happened. As I always say:

In all things, “Get Wisdom, Get Understanding.”

Ransford Peprah (Sports Editor/Analysis)

Rnsfdpeprah@yahoo.com

http://www.africaonline24.com