“I got misquoted on one of the questions. My future looks like it’s with England, definitely, I’ve been in Manchester all my life and I’m a Manchester through and through. I’ve played for England at all the youth levels up to the Under 21s and it just felt like progression to graduate to the seniors and, the other day, it happened as well.†– Danny Welbeck
I choose to call it an infatuation and it remains that for as long as I am concerned.
(This thing about poaching a Ghanaian born player to represent the country rather than a country he has most probably played for at youth level.)
The latest installment being that of Danny Welbeck, of Ghanaian parentage but who has played for England at the junior level, marking his senior team debut after coming on as an England substitute when Ghana played England in a friendly game at the Wembley Stadium.
I have never minced words about the right of any player who does not want to play for the national team; re: Michael Essien and whether or not he was going to play for Ghana or not.
Highly subjective as the subject matter depending on who is analyzing it, I agreed with the view of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Vice President, Fred Pappoe, who told Joy Fm that he felt sorry for Welbeck when played against Ghana.
The subject of bringing back players with even a pint of Ghanaian blood to represent Ghana has over the years left us all mumbling, grumbling and fuming at one point or the other accusing the player in question as being ‘unpatriotic,’ for the simple reason that they have deserted the country of their birth.
I disagreed, I disagree for as long as I am, I would disagree with all who hold the above opinion; to which end I ask, what would then become of personal choice and considerations?
That young man (Welbeck) knows all too well that the likes of Rooney, Andy Carroll, Darren Bent and Theo Walcott are likely to be picked before him on any day but he chooses to go that way, I wonder what the big deal is then.
Perhaps it stems from the level of expectation heaped on his probability of playing for Ghana as against England before getting his first senior team call up barely over a week ago.
The news about how Black Stars assistant coach, Akwesi Appiah, had met him in Manchester and spoken to him, the impact of his three Ghanaian compatriots playing with him at Sunderland; Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari and John Mensah, all of whom had given assurances that Welbeck would choose the Black Stars ahead of the ‘Three Lions.’
Kevin Prince Boateng, who switched nationality from Germany to play for the Black Stars at the just ended World Cup in South Africa, is under some fire for what is seen as having used Ghana to leap from relegated English side Portsmouth to lofty European football giant, AC Milan.
This comes in the wake assertions that he has been avoiding the team since the World Cup, he however lends credence to the assertion when he feigned illness to stay away from the team in their Nations Cup game against Congo, but turning up to play against England before the GFA turned him away.
Again, the fine and enterprising midfielder that he is, is there any big deal if Kevin decides to quit from the national team for whatever reason?
I say, ideally, there should not be any rumpus as the Black Stars team is sure to soldier on with or without Kevin as it has in times past.
I shudder to think what would have become if the GFA convinced a certain Mario Barwuah Balotelli to play for Ghana, what a sight that would have been of that critically acclaimed confused ballistic egoistic and rigid Youngman – nothing against him - who has proven a mouthful for his managers in Italy and England.
The long over stretched potential switch of nationality on the part of goalie Adam Larsen Kwarasey, who plies his trade in the Norwegian League with Strømsgodset is welcomed if the switch materializes, after all he would bolster Ghana’s staff in post, with Richard Kingson, the stand out candidate for the last few years.
The Media:
In all of this, the media has proven to be a catalyst to this whole unwarranted infatuation, radio presenters especially have arrogated upon themselves the task of scouting and unnecessarily hyping players with Ghanaian parentage.
One cannot but lend a certain amount of truth to widespread claims within section of the public and even amongst sports journalists that some journalists do so in order to gain favor with these players, all for their selfish interests.
Not to say the FA has been forced to listen on any occasion, they always ask club officials and any FA official at the least opportunity why so and so playing in here and there has not been called, they are however the same people who turn back to slam and heap the pressure.
This whole state of affairs dovetails right into sports journalists who have taken the job of club spokespersons and player publicists subject to which their line of argument in their analysis is woefully sickening.
The Ghana Football Association:
What we as a football loving nation must know, if we already do not, is that Ghana would not and could possibly not run out of football talents in any compartment of the game, be it in the goal, defense, midfield or in attack.
What is to be done is for up and coming players at the colts and junior national team level to be groomed and with the adoption of international training regimes and schedules in order that Ghana does not have to await foreign-based legion to stand any chance of making it in any qualifier and competition for that matter.
Resting my case at this juncture has never felt more fulfilling and heart warming as I feel at the end of this piece, Ghana Football must be the winner, whoever dons the national team jersey.
God Bless our homeland Ghana.
© Shaban Barani Alpha