Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra)
I.K. Gyasi
26 October 2009
column
Let me also congratulate the Black Satellites on their victory over Brazil in the just-ended FIFA Under -20 Championships held in Egypt.
But, what is this occult nonsense coming from Coach Sellas Tetteh, and from the so-called "Prophet" T. B. Joshua of Nigeria?
Did the media correctly report Coach Tetteh as saying that he and President John Evans Atta Mills were in constant touch with Mr. Joshua, and that that man ensured our victory over Brazil?
As the tournament progressed, my anger was on those television studio 'coaches,' who kept belittling the efforts of the players and the coach.
I was particularly incensed at Nana Agyemang, the man who was ignominiously sacked by Okwahu United for his laughably incompetent handling of that team.
The way "Studio Coach" Nana Agyemang comments on soccer matches, you could be forgiven for thinking that even coaching greats like Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Monrinho took Nana Agyemang's correspondence course in coaching.
After the match between the Black Satellites and Hungary, his comments were particularly catty, wounding put-downs. He did not think that the Satellites had performed any great feats worth commenting.
To him, Uzbekistan was no soccer country, and that went for South Africa and Korea.
As he put it, England does not think much of these 'junior' competitions and, consequently, did not present the best it could put into the field of play. He mentioned two or three names that were not present at the tournament, to buttress his point that England's best were kept away.
He did not understand why we did not beat Uruguay. As for Hungary, Nana overlooked the fact that that country had beaten Italy, the country that had also sent a tournament favourite, Spain, packing back home.
To Nana Agyemang, the Satellites had stumbled through all the matches, even up to the point when they had reached the finals.
If such unkind, sarcastic and unfair comments had come from a good and experienced coach, one could have accepted them.
Coming from someone with such an abysmal record in coaching (that is, if he has any record worth boasting of), the remarks were particularly hurtful.
Was Nana Agyemang merely criticising the players, or was he enviously getting at Coach Tetteh?
As I listened to Nana Agyemang, I was reminded of one of the witticisms of the late Irish writer, George Bernard Shaw.
Shaw once reportedly said that those who know how to do something actually go ahead and do it, while those who do not know how to do it, go ahead to teach it.
As a 'coach' Nana Agyemang cannot do it on the sports field, so he teaches it in television studios.
If it is of any consolation to him, let me also say that, like Vice President John Mahama, many of us had very anxious moments as we watched one Satellites match after another.
Perhaps, they could have done a better job. But, we should remember that the other countries were also in Egypt to play and win, and not to hand victories to the Satellites on a silver platter.
Even when the Satellites beat Brazil, Nana Agyemang was hardly euphoric. Was he disappointed that the Satellites did not make his secret wish come true? Did the Satellites do nothing right at all?
For all my layman's criticism of the Satellites, I thought they made us proud to be Ghanaians.
Up to the blowing of the final whistle to end the tournament, the Satellites may not have played like Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea or Inter-Milan.
But they brought to each game a dedication and a fierce determination to win or die.
That is what mattered. After all, when a game is over, we ask, "Which side won?" and NOT "which side played a more beautiful game?"
To me, after thanking God for our victory, those who must share in the credit include the determined 'boys' and their coach, Sellas Tetteh.
They put to shame critics who secretly prayed for a defeat along the way or at the final, so that they could take their knives to carve up the 'boys', the coach and everyone who had something to do with the tournament, in one capacity or another.
So I ask again, what is this occult nonsense about a Prophet Joshua being given the whole credit for the victory? Does Coach Tetteh say that the man merely joined the millions of Ghanaians and sympathisers who wished for victory, or that it was the Almighty God who revealed to him how the game would go?
I have no problems if he merely prayed for Ghana like any sympathiser. But I am dammed if I am going to accept all the mumbo jumbo about who should kick the penalty first, or about defeat coming to us if we scored in regulation time.
Coach Tetteh is a very emotional person. He bursts out cheering if his player scores. He jumps, pushes the air with clenched fists and smiles broadly.
On the other hand, his face and such gestures as clutching his head with both hands indicate his sadness or fear if a calamity such as a goal, an injury, or the flashing of a card befalls his team.
When the referee flashed the red card, which sent Daniel Addo off in the thirty seventh minute during the final, fear, sadness and dismay were all shown in his face, even as he clutched his head in both hands.
If Mr. Joshua had assured him before hand that his team would win, why did he show such consternation? How was he communicating with Mr. Joshua when he (Mr. Tetteh) did not appear to have any cell phone in his hand? Was it spiritual telephony? Did any body see Coach Tetteh's face when we missed a penalty? Was he merely pretending to be afraid?
Since the impression is being created that our victory was spiritually engineered by Mr. Joshua, the personal pastor and spiritual physician of President Mills, I hope he will listen to us if we go down on our knees and implore him to give us the greatest trophy in world soccer, the FIFA World Cup.
Fellow Ghanaians, we must be very careful if we claim to know God and worship him. The Holy Bible tells us that God says He is a jealous God and that no other gods should be worshipped besides Him.
According to the Holy Quran, God can forgive any other sin, but not the sin of associating partners with him.
Let us not incur the wrath of God by ascribing to human beings and other things what belongs to Him alone. We should avoid occult beliefs and practices if we want to make progress.
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