National Sports Authority (NSA) Board Chairman, Honourable Kwadwo Baah Agyemang has entreated the Black Stars players to be discipline on the field of play in every game they play in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, saying, “Ghana is not in good books of African referees”.
Ghana and FC Metz centre back John Boye was harshly sent off in Ghana’s opening match against Benin after receiving a second yellow card for time wasting in the early stages of the second half at a time when Ghana was 2-1 up, but eventually ended the match in a 2-2 stalemate.
The NSA boss who is currently with the Black Stars in Egypt, insists that Ghana is not in the good books of referees in Africa following the release of the famous TV documentary dubbed Number 12 by Ghana’s ace undercover journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his Tiger Eye PI firm in 2018, in which many African referees were caught on camera accepting cash to allegedly influence matches across the continent.
“The players should be focus and very discipline because the (red) card John Boye received it was needless, it shouldn’t have happened that way, so if the players be very discipline on the field of play it can take us out of all these things”, Hon. Baah cautioned in an interview, speaking to Focal Sports.
The NSA boss further maintained that Ghana is not a good friend of referees on the continent now and should not seek any sympathy from the officials but learn to be very technical in the approach to matches to ensure smooth run in the tournament.
“If you look at officiating Ghana is not in good books of African referees because of certain things that have happened recently (referring to the Number 12 Anas Expose), so we have to bear all that in mind and be like Azumah Nelson who goes into the boxing ring with his own referee which is a knock out, we can also strategise that we will be careful about our infringements, we would be careful about how we set offside traps, we would be careful on how we dive or fall to the ground, we should not try to buy into the fray of the referees, we should be very dedicated and committed to our strategy, we should be very technical, that can help us to get what we want in our next match”, he warned.
Ghana must beat defending champions Cameroon on Saturday keep their hopes of qualifying to the next stage alive, and honorable Baah Agyemang is worried about Ghana’s defence and has urged coach Kwasi Appiah to work on his defence before coming up against the Indomitable Lions.
“I think the coach must keep an eye on our defensive pair because the card John Boye received was needless”, he said.
