2018 World Cup qualifiers: GFA implores yet another ‘Patapaa’ tactics to pacify Ghanaians

By El-Amisty Nobo| Follow Amisty on twitter @ElAmistyNobo

The Ghana Football Association [GFA] has piteously launched a grandiose supplication to divert the attention of Ghanaians for its failure to lead Ghana to a fourth successive FIFA World Cup campaign.

The GFA lodged a protest against referee Daniel Bennett and his two assistants – Eldrick Adelaide and Steve Marie for denying Ghana a late winner in the Black Stars’ last away game of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers against the Cranes at the Nelson Mandela National Stadium in Kampala [Uganda] on Saturday, October 07.

Yes, the Ghana Football Association has every right to protest against bias officiating, but a critical look at the Group E table at the time Ghana filed its protest suggested that it was perhaps another crafty way of dodging the bullet from the court of public opinion as to why Ghana couldn’t qualify for the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup.

“The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has lodged a protest with FIFA over the performance of referee Daniel Bennett and his assistants Eldrick Adelaide and Steve Marie during the 2018 World Cup qualifier against Uganda on Saturday,” a statement from the association copied to the press read.

The GFA went on blaming spree against former sports minister [Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye], sports journalists, supporters and recently some players of the team [Black Stars] when the going became tough and haven’t realized that the court of public opinion is about to scrutinize them [GFA], the association is cunningly trying to divert the attention of the public to referee Daniel Bennett as the causative agent in the equation.

Fact is, it’s extremely difficult for any country in Africa to draw two home games and still dream of qualification to any tournament worthy of note except when a country can boast of a standing squad which is rich in depth and fearless against any opposition.

Ghana’s ambition to qualify for the 2018 mundial collapsed at birth on matchday one when the Ghana Football Association decided to place more emphasis on a friendly international game with South Africa over a FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Cranes of Uganda at the Tamale Sports Stadium where the GFA decided to leave the then sports minister to run the show single handedly.

The Black Stars had another great opportunity to put in a fight after Uganda had beaten Egypt in Kampala but, Ghana fluffed that golden opportunity with ease as the Black Stars were held to a goalless draw game by Congo at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Salah scored twice to steal a late show in Egypt as the Pharaohs won 2-1 over Congo before a packed 85,000 crowd at the Borg Arab Stadium in Alexandria on Sunday, October 08 to earn the only slot in Group E to the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Below are the standings in Group E after matchday five:

Egypt – 12

Uganda – 8

Ghana – 6

Congo – 1

Egypt could decide not to attach so much importance in its final match against the Black Stars which is only going to serve as a dress rehearsal to the Pharaohs who last appeared at football’s biggest stage [world cup] twenty-seven years ago [1990] in Italy.

The question is, what becomes of Ghana’s well orchestrated protest now that FIFA has endorsed Egypt’s qualification to Russia 2018?

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