Renowned sports broadcaster, Charles Osei Asibbey has called on decision makers of the senior national team to expel players who have been with the team for ten years.
According to him, footballers and teams have a cycle where they rise and fall, hence, it is due for the handlers of the team to be bold enough and let go of all players who have spent such amount of time in the team.
Osei Asibbey suggested this when he was responding to a question of how the Black Stars can be restored its glory days, following the dismissal of Charles Kwabena Akunnor as head coach.
Speaking on Anopa Bofo morning show, the President of the Ghana Arm Wrestling Association who doubles as the General Secretary of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), said Ghana needs to be confident to emulate the decision of late Black Stars coach, Ben Koffie who expelled some old players and introduced exuberant ones into the team during the 2002 African Cup of Nations staged in Mali.
“If today Ghana takes a bold decision as Coach Ben Koffie took in 2002, the results we need from the Black Stars will be restored back. You see Ben Koffie then realised that there was politics in the team so he let go of the likes of Augustine Arhinful, Samuel Osei Kuffuor and others, and fixed in the then 2001 U-20 World Cup squad consisting of Micheal Essien, Suley Muntari, John Paintsil and John Mensah. There he built a new set of team before finally helping the country qualify for its first FIFA World Cup in 2006.”
“So we have reached that peak because every team and footballer has a cycle where it climbs and descends. But at this juncture, the only thing we can do is whoever has played or been with the team for ten years, should go because we don’t need them,” he told Kofi Adoma Nwawanni.
When asked by the host who should take such bold decision, Charles Osei Asibbey affirmatively responded “As i am saying, members of the Ghana Football Association know what am talking about, as every Ghanaian knows as well. So I challenge the FA president and any coach that comes in, else the problem will exist forever if my advice is not regarded.
The renowned sports journalist stressed that should management of the Black Stars act pragmatically towards his challenge by making sure there’s reform in the team, Ghanaians will enjoy the stars again.
