The calls for Sulley Muntari to be included in the Black Stars team to face Nigeria in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Decider has been gaining steam and at this point, those calls are deafening.
On the back of a string of high-level performances, it is easy to see why an on the fly complimentary comment has turned into a full-blown clarion call for Muntari’s inclusion in the Black Stars.
First, he played a solid game against Asante Kotoko in the first leg of the Super Clash, followed it up with another solid outing in a nearly 90-minute performance in testing temperatures for a 37-year-old midfielder to drop a hammer of performance against Kotoko this time in the President’s Cup.
Receiving the winner’s medal from the President and registering his first assist and goal for Accra Hearts of Oak just two weeks ahead of the crunch tie against the Super Eagles means Muntari has a solid case to be included in the Black Stars.
Dede Ayew does a good job as the leader of the Black Stars, but a second general on the field has been lacking for the Stars for quite a while. The team lacks leadership beyond Dede since the likes of Thomas Partey, Jordan Ayew and Daniel Amartey have fallen short of the mark. As a man who has been to three World Cups and played in a couple of Africa cups of Nations tournaments plus a decade worth of experience playing at the top level in Europe, Muntari is a veteran who can fill the leadership with the team needs.
His presence is sure to come in handy as Dede Ayew will miss the Nigeria tie due to a suspension stemming from dismissal against Comoros at the 2021 AFCON. As demonstrated in Cameroon earlier this year, take Partey, Jordan Ayew and Amartey out and the Black Stars is filled with young talents that are far from the most experienced bunch.
Leadership is key in deciding the outcome of such close matched ties, as seen in PSG’s capitulation against Real Madrid earlier this week in the Champions League. The French team lost because they had no leaders on the pitch; despite having outrageous talent in Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Neymar among others, PSG didn’t have a leader to straighten them out once Real Madrid was gifted a way back into the tie.
Having a guy like Muntari in the dressing room, on the sideline or in limited minutes on the pitch is the best (active player) support system for a group of youngsters tasked with an enormous pressure-packed challenge.
Here is the kicker though Muntari isn’t right for the Black Stars despite all the positives going on for him and his team, and it is all down to matters not directly related to football.
Gross mismanagement from the handlers of Ghana’s National Men’s Football Team led to most disappointing campaign ever for Ghana at the AFCON. A lot of ills were reported from Ghana’s pre-tournament base in Qatar and stay in Cameroon that ultimately ended in a shock loss to Comoros. Per the chronicled challenging relationship between Muntari and the Black Stars since his senior debut 20 years ago, one can deduce Sulley Muntari is an individual who doesn’t do or say the politically correct stuff in the face of the controversy, thus brews another controversy in the process.
It is clear from the many incidents of “indiscipline” that has haunted Muntari’s international career since the first incident in 2004, is that the former Portsmouth and Milan man is a straight shooter in human interactions and doesn’t compromise on seeing out responsibilities no matter who is in charge.
Per the reported numerous instances of unprofessional acts and poor execution of duties by Black Stars Administrators in Cameroon, adding a guy with a no-nonsense approach like Muntari is a bad mix that is bound to divulge into another Black Stars controversy.
With Ghana in such a bad place football-wise, the last thing the country needs is another round of controversy on top of what looks like an inevitable fall at the hands of the “Big Enemy” Nigeria. Roy Keane had his fair share of spats with the Irish FA that led to his absence at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, as did Sulley Muntari in Ghana’s 2014 World Cup campaign that led to his dismissal from camp.
Placing gunpowder and a lit match in proximity is asking for trouble; in lieu, the items must be separated to prevent an explosion. When teams fail to perform, the Coach gets sacked first since logically, he is easier to get rid of than a long list of team players.
As golden as Muntari’s intentions are in the face of the endemic acts of greed, selfish and unprofessional conduct by Black Stars Administrators over the years, the timing of the playoff tie means Muntari is the replaceable cog in this equation and shouldn’t be involved in the Black Stars.
Should he get invited to the Black Stars, for his legacy to avoid taking another hit via a national team controversy, it is best for Sulley Muntari to decline the invitation and focus on Hearts of Oak as he said in a recent interview?
Source: Yaw Adjei-Mintah, Freelance Sports Writer