Sunday, January 28's demolition of our national soccer team, the Black Stars, by the Lone Star of Liberia was one of the saddest days in Ghana's football history.

Many soccer followers cannot remember the last time such a spectacle unfolded before their very eyes at the Accra Sports Stadium, Ghana's miniature version of world famous Wembley. Even when the Black Stars lose matches whether home or away, the team has always proved its mettle.

But on Sunday, our national team stood stupefied. Our best eleven could just not find an antidote to the marauding Liberians and at the end of the day Ghanaians have been left asking themselves: What went wrong? Happily, the players themselves have admitted that they broke all the camp rules, complacency set in leaving us with a very dicey chance of making it to Japan/Korea 2002. Coach Jones Attuquayefio has also admitted to making his own mistakes.

But to the Chronicle, and many Ghanaians, the qualification or otherwise to the fiesta that is the futbol mundial where only the best are represented, can still be rescued and placed firmly on the route to the Far East come 2002. To rescue the shaking train rests squarely on the hands of the technical bench of the Black Stars headed by an experienced Attuquayefio who has just won an African diadem with Accra Hearts of Oak.

As a coach he knows mental attitude, will power and the determination to win by dying a little matters a lot in the game of football. This was abundantly displayed when Manchester United Football Club did the seemingly impossible by scoring two goals in injury time to defeat Bayern Munich who has our own Samuel Osei Kufuor playing in the team.

Our team cannot be said to have shown that grit and determination last Sunday. Our foreign legion has become complacent with many of them believing that they are entitled to an automatic inclusion in the Black Stars squad. Even when some are not fully fit, their past has always propelled them into the team.

This superstar status and cult image some of them have has worsened their concentration when they are playing in Ghana making their performances almost always a disaster before the home crowd. Having been with the team for years, many of them have lost the will to win and the hunger for glory believing that they are doing the country a favour by winning their matches.

With that attitude they break camp rules with impunity as their retinue of hangers-on, male and female, invade the camp at odd hours popping champagne at night with the supposed professional footballer going into battle following day. These players' continuous inclusion in the team is therefore bad for the morale of the team.

What should the coach do to these superstars? We will like to remind the coach that the team he is using is almost former coach Guissepe Dossena's team and that Italian has his own way of dealing with their 'waywardness.' It, therefore, follows that the new coach must have his 'own team' who he knows will obey his rules and follow his advice.

The Chronicle believes that with still a chance to put a winning Black Stars squad together again, it is now the time for the coach to build his own team composed of players he knows are hungry for fame. These players are both in Ghana and playing overseas. The team could include some of the present members but they must however justify their inclusion in the team. In addition, camping them away from the intrusive and disruptive visits of families and friends will help their concentration better.

Chronicle will, therefore, advice coach Attuquayefio to put the past behind him and begin the team rebuilding exercise now because all is not lost yet. What he needs is to quickly forge a winsome side together, a team that can make Ghanaians momentarily forget their sorrows and once again claim the title of Africa's soccer giant and a worthy ambassador for the beautiful game outside the continent.

Ghana's appearance at the futbol mundial will make a case for the local coaches who have won the African titles but are yet to showcase their ability on the world stage. On a personal level, it will ensure the coach's place in Ghana football's Hall of Fame.