RANTINGS OF A BƆƆLU GBEY...

Yesterday the 2nd of September 2013, I took some time out of my creative schedule to go watch the Black Stars at the Accra Sports Stadium ooohh sorry oohh, the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium. The teams turnout was meager because the rest of the team was still enroute from their various destinations of employment worldwide. The face of international football has changed and is a far cry from the days when the whole national team was up of players from the local league. Having watched many a Black Stars training sessions at the now derelict Kaneshie Sports Complex or the Ohene Djan Sports stadium, yesterday was able to bring back the nostalgia that instigated my decision to go watch the training session. One big memory of such training sessions I watched was in 1982 prior to the Libya (Cup of Nations) of a hastily put together Black Stars team led by the fearless C.K Gyamfi. An Era where the only non local players were George Alhassan and the captain Emmanuel Quarshie who was with Zamalek (If my memory serves right). I remember a standing next to a teenage Abedi Pele (all Jerry Curled up, dripping with a mixture of activator, sweat and testosterone) being interviewed for TV or Radio (N.B we could not spell internet in those days). Those days saw some full scale full pitch matches sometimes against the local sides or the whole call up. It was value for money even though it was free to get in. With players getting into some full blown career threatening tackles because of the sheer competition for places besides or other underlying factors like team rivalries.

Ohh, how international football has changed. Players are now wrapped in cotton wool and only fully unwrapped on the day of serious competitive engagement keeping them ticking over like well oiled machines and away from any harm or misfortune to get their maximum performance. And watching the small pitch session from the stands yesterday got a lot of things going through my mind. These laughing, joking group of brothers, friends will on Friday become a fighting unit burdened with the expectation of a whole nation to beat Zambia and qualify for the World Cup playoff round. 

What a responsibility, way beyond my measly one international Basketball Cap against Togo at ‘a filled to the rafters’ Lebanon House, Tudu in 1985. My only regret that day was getting only a few minutes on the floor and missing both free throws when I went to the foul line. Our lot those days were and still is a far cry from the money laden and underachieving Black Stars of today. 

I remember we got changed at St Joseph’s C.Y.O (another bastion of Ghana Basketball) and commandeering a Tro-Tro for the 5-10 minute journey to Lebanon House. The Black Stars’ current luxury coach would have had difficulty maneuvering into the Lebanon House so it must have been a tactical masterstroke by the 3 man management team of Ceasar Akpakli, Braa Matthias and Coach Victor Munford to keep the team hungry and focused for the task ahead. Our post match victory party was held at a Hotel in Osu Kuku hill (will provide the name in chambers) getting there on a back of a pick up wearing our national track suits was an unbelievable sight to behold for by standers who might have cared to take a closer look. Our previous 2-3 weeks allowances plus winning bonus was handed and received with gratitude, about 1000 Cedis in all (which was a lot of money then). That night at the Tesano Gardens I was the ‘Paymaster General’ and made sure the BuBra flowed like there was no tomorrow ably assisted by my then able ‘Finance Minister’ (name With held for confidential reasons) still in my regulation Uniform and Tracksuit showing off and behaving in a manner unbefitting of sportsman let alone an international just coming from a game he had participated in. Of course I might have been the only one who cared or understood why I was still in my track suit at 10pm necking down Draught beer because frankly nobody gave a toss.
Times have changed in the field of sports and sportsmen around the world have become very cautious about the dietary and recreational drinking habits because they are now very highly invested and paid cash machines with agents, managers and investment brokers who take care of their every day to day activities to keep the machine ticking over. The legendary stories of footballers’ drinking habits at various watering holes in Accra where the cream of league footballers would allegedly converge before and after league matches to refresh themselves are not just common to just these parts of the world.
Footage of footballers having an after game cigarette and a drink in the baths of many a football ground in England was the norm rather than the exception. In those days it was seen a manly thing to do rather than an unhealthy habit unbecoming of a sporting hero without the current intrusion of camera phones, Twitter and Facebook and the ever waiting sensation seeking newspaper to contend with, life must have a carefree carnival of careless abandon.
With all this in mind I pray we beat Zambia handsomely to make a statement, qualifying in the process and inducing the legendary fear national teams had of the once formidable Black Stars of Ghana. The bars in Kumasi and the whole country will make a killing as the parties will continue all weekend. All they have to do is to ensure they are fully stocked up for the ordeal.
Finally, all have to say is enjoy sensibly and carefully, and with this I leave with you the wise words of a musician bidding farewell at the end of the night in an Irish Bar.
‘PLEASE DO NOT  DRINK AND DRIVE, BUT IF YOU WANT TO, DO NOT FORGET YOUR CAR’.

GO BLACK STARS GO
OSEEY YEE. YEEEEE YEI,
BLACK STARS OOHHH, BLACK STARS OOHHH,
YEEE YEEEEEIGHHHHH
allotey@accralomi.com © Accra, 2010