[OPINION]: Sane-Mane; A bust up bound to have different consequences than the precursor

In another universe, Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane will be on the international stage fighting for the Senegalese flag at the AFCON, FIFA Confederations Cup or the FIFA World Cup.

After all, Sane is the son of former Senegal international Souleymane Sane who happens to be Senegal’s first ever professional footballer but there they were, trudging off the Etihad pitch, bickering their frustrations at each other before it all came to a head.

Bayern Munich is the biggest club football institution in Germany; for the most part, Bayern is German football. Taking a look at the club’s utter dominance of the Bundesliga and the high number of players who represent the club in the German National Men’s Football team, claiming Bayern Munich is German football is not a farfetched claim.

What makes institutions like Bayern the establishment they are is the club’s ability to deal with inevitable controversies that pop up no matter how great the organization is run. This season might be the most controversy filled campaign for Bayern on the back of Julian Nagelsmann’s shock dismissal, Thomas Tuchel’s hire and Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane’s fight that has filled the tabloids.

Compared to what top teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan and AS Roma deal with in Spain, England and Italy respectively, what Bayern has gone through and is going through this season is absolutely nothing.

Heck, Paris Saint-Germain and their owners will take this version of Bayern and celebrate it like winning the long sought after Champions League title considering the type of intense series of incidents that happen on a near weekly basis.

The club’s ultras relationship with Lionel Messi comes to mind while not forgetting Neymar’s injury induced absences in January and February and Kylian Mbappe’s touchy commitment to the club.

Kylian Mbappe of PSG celebrates his goal between (PSG) and FC Lorient (Credit Image: © Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire)

Bayern Munich is boring and certainly doesn’t fit the script for controversy junkies as most Sports Journalists are. But Leroy Sane did end up with a bruised lip after Sadio Mane reportedly punched him in a bust up after a 0-3 loss to Manchester City in the Champions League.

The incident has attracted a $321,595 fine and a suspension that got the Senegal international to miss Bayern’s 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim.

Mane has had a torrid time since recovering from a serious leg injury that ruled him out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup as he has registered just an assist in six league games and generally struggled to play up to his high standards.

Prior to the injury, Mane was getting his feet wet in the Bundesliga following his move from Liverpool as he bagged three assists and six goals in 14 league games.

Physically clashing with Sane was the last thing his campaign needed knowing fully well the consequences are sure to differ from what happened a little over a decade ago.

Before Mane and Sane formed an appealing name tandem, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben formed Robbery and consistently robbed Bundesliga teams of league title wins in their dominant run.

On the European stage, the brilliant duo powered Bayern to the 2013 Champions League title after losing the 2012 Champions League final to Chelsea. In the semifinal against Real Madrid in 2012, a free kick sparked the fracas that had Robben suffer a cut under his eye. Ribery was punished and both players held a “clear the air meeting” and squashed the issue.

Winning the Champions League in the immediate follow up season with both players playing starring roles in the conquest proved Robbery had indeed moved past the incident.

Ribery and Robben played seven seasons after the fight incident before both departed Bayern in 2019 but Mane and Sane won’t share that fate.

Bayern has struggled to replace Robert Lewandowski after the Polish striker joined Barcelona this season. These struggles have fed into Bayern Munich’s inability to create real separation from the rest of the chasing Bundesliga pack with Borussia Dortmund just two points short of Bayern’s 59 point tally.

Getting a top center forward like Harry Kane or Dusan Vlahovic looks to be the biggest priority for Bayern this offseason since Victor Osimhen is primed to join an English Premier League team. Getting either Kane or Vlahovic won’t come cheap and Bayern will need to sell an asset valuable enough to raise funds for such a pricey purchase.

While Mane has generated strong interest from England, reportedly Liverpool, he is 31 years, earns a bigger wage than Sane and is the sort of wing forward who fits Tuchel’s system that relies on a false nine.

Unlike Mane, Sane is as traditional a winger as it comes, is younger at 27 years and his lower wages make him a reachable quality target for the likes of Newcastle United who are set to split with Allan Saint-Maximin at the end of this season.

Atletico Madrid could swoop in for Sane should Barcelona sort its financial issues early enough to free up funds to sign Yannick Carrasco.

Beyond the money and business talk, there is also the intangibles factor that plays a key role in deciphering this sort of controversy.

Ribery had played four full seasons at Bayern and was in his fifth season when he squared up against Robben. Robben had played two full seasons for Bayern and was competing in his third season before butting heads with Ribery.

Both players endeared themselves to the Bayern establishment to have enough goodwill to stay beyond the controversy but Mane is in his debut season and hasn’t impressed while Sane is playing out his third season since joining Bayern from Man City but hasn’t exactly set the Bundesliga on fire.

Robben and Ribery as a duo had more than enough credit in the bank to ride out its grand controversy and come through that phase unscathed but Sane and Mane are far off this mark and are staring at a major fallout even if they have made peace.

Commitment to Black Stars is OVERRATED; the case for Salisu Mohammed’s inclusion for Qatar Trip

Today marks exactly a week Ghana’s Black Stars booked its place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup that is to be held in Qatar. Making it to the Mundial is a big achievement especially for a very young team and qualification was made greater because it came at the expense of big international rival Nigeria in the Super Eagles backyard. Immediately after progressing from the playoffs, thoughts immediately switched to how Ghana can make a bigger and better impression than it did the last time out at the World Cup.

While several changes including maintaining the Technical Team and doing away with Black Stars Management Committee due to a redundancy in its work have been proposed by fans, the majority of the chatter surrounding the team has centered on how to improve the playing personnel. In the 2014 World Cup held in Brazil, Ghana failed to build on its quarterfinal appearance in 2010 and exited the preliminary stage under a heavy cloud of financial and administrative mismanagement.

As such, there is the need for Ghana not just to make a mere return but deliver a big time performance in Qatar to make up for that embarrassment and disappointment. Drawn in Group H against Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea, there is a lot of familiarity between Ghana and Portugal and Uruguay to breed enough contempt to fuel a run beyond the Group Stage in the Middle East later this year.

To realize such expectations, Ghana needs to upgrade on the team that played in the qualifiers and players like Callum Hudson-Odoi and Tariq Lamptey are very likely possible additions to the Black Stars. Sections of Ghanaian fans have varied opinions on both players inclusion in the team but neither of the two sharply divides opinions on this subject the way Salisu Mohammed does.

Due to a reported rift with the Ghana Football Association (GFA), the Southampton defender has reportedly turned down multiple invitations to the Black Stars because he isn’t ready to come play for the team. Many believe he doesn’t deserve a spot in the team because he played no part in the qualifiers, didn’t treat Ghana with respect and in Alexander Djiku, Daniel Amartey, Joseph Aidoo, Abdul Mumin and many others including Nantes’ Dennis Appiah and Hearts of Oak’s Mohammed Alhassan, Ghana is pretty much sorted in central defence.

On the contrary, Salisu Mohammed needs to be invited to the Black Stars because for starters, aiding Ghana’s qualification to a World Cup doesn’t guarantee a spot at the World Cup for a player. Interim Black Stars Head Coach Otto Addo didn’t play in the qualifiers in the lead up to Ghana’s debut World appearance in 2006 but ended up competing for Ghana in Germany. However, a handful of players who played roles in crucial qualification games were dropped eventually.

William Tierro started for Ghana in the Black Stars remarkable 3-0 win over South Africa in 2004 with Charles Taylor coming off the bench to feature in the game. In the return leg, Ghana all but sealed its place in Germany with a 2-0 win with the likes of Daniel Edusei starting for the Black Stars. In both cases, Tierro, Taylor and Edusei didn’t make it to the World Cup but Addo, Haminu Dramani and Alex Tachie-Mensah did.

Tierro (second from right) in Ghana’s group that beat South Africa 3-0 in 2004

For folks that are in the “No Salisu for Qatar 2022” Camp because of his supposed non commitment to the Black Stars, well here is the gospel truth; commitment to the Black Stars is overrated. Playing football is the job of footballers and many see it as that; A Job and it is high time fans also view it same and doing so means Ghanaian fans need to take emotions out of the equation and handle it as another unique tolerance-talent case.

Kevin-Prince Boateng has clearly shown that he has never been committed to the Black Stars at any point in his international career. Mind you, the German born player switched international football nationality to Ghana after he was rejected by Germany in the lead up to the 2010 World Cup but behind Asamoah Gyan and arguably Jonathan Mensah, he was Ghana’s best player in South Africa

When the talent is that good, the level of tolerance is that good too and Mohammed Salisu is that good so the level of tolerance over his non committal stance towards the Black Stars ought to be tolerated. Statistically, Salisu leads the English Premier League in interceptions with 68, ranks 10^th overall in aerial battles won and is tied in 15^th place in shots blocked but statistics don’t show the full picture a proper eye test does in evaluating a player. Per the eye test column, Salisu checks that box with his overall play for the Saints to the point he is on the radar for a possible move to a Top Six team once this season ends.

That aside, Addo is in love with the modern trend of building up play from the backline with full backs pushed up field and the defensive midfielder dropping deep to serve as the attacking outlet or a decoy to free a central defender to advance the ball. Unfortunately, Ghana doesn’t have these kinds of strengths in Amartey, Djiku or Baba Iddrissu’s style of play. Thomas Partey has those qualities but those qualities are needed a bit further up the pitch to balance Ghana’s midfield out as his fellow midfielders Daniel Kyereh, Elisha Owusu, Mohammed Kudus are more attack minded.

Unlike Amartey and Djiku, Salisu is comfortable with the ball at his feet and comfortable passing out from the back at a high success rate and is familiar with Addo’s style of play since Southampton often builds its attacks in a similar manner with Oriel Romeu or James Ward-Prowse dropping deep. Ghana had to defend by committee against Nigeria’s aerial threats Odion Ighalo and Victor Osimhen and in Qatar, the Black Stars will face off against even better aerial threats in Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Andre Silva not forgetting Diogo Jota plus Uruguay’s Jose Gimenez and Darwin Nunez.

Defending by committee consistently isn’t the best approach and at some point Otto Addo would have to get his defenders to take one on one defensive assignments against such elite threats. In order to pull that off successfully while assigning other defensive duties to other players, Ghana needs Salisu’s 6 foot 3 inch presence in the team to complement Amartey’s 6 foot 1inch frame and Djiku’s 6 foot frame.

People need to understand playing in a tournament setting is quite short unlike club football that has extensive time period for commitment or lack thereof to be a major issue. Production is king and Kevin-Prince Boateng’s run with the Black Stars in 2010 should serve as the ultimate guide to handle Salisu Mohammed’s issue.

Need for speed (to kill Nigeria’s World Cup dreams) means no Jordan Ayew in starting lineup

The Black Stars performance against Nigeria was good and nothing beyond that and nothing below that; Good. It is tempting to associate the Stars performance against Nigeria the first time out as very good or even excellent on the back of the early exit from the 2021 AFCON but that is a wrong assertion to make since Ghana’s campaign in Cameroon earlier this year doesn’t merit as a yardstick. The standard Ghana put out in January in performance was so low, it can’t be used as a reference point in the first place because that was a flat out horror show.

The world needs to know, universal booing of Jordan Ayew from the stands at the Baba Yara Stadium was far from embarrassing and shameful as many have pointed it out to be. On the contrary, it was a rare display of displeasure from a loyal fan base to a player who has failed to live up to his potential but has been consistently given the benefit of doubt and is still yet to return the favour even at an advanced age of 30.

ISMAILIA, EGYPT – JUNE 25: JORDAN PIERRE AYEW of Ghana during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Group F match between Ghana and Benin at Ismailia Stadium on June 25, 2019 in Ismailia, Egypt. (Photo by Visionhaus)

Had the first leg of the Jollof Derby been played before fans in Cape Coast, Accra, Essipong or Tamale, Jordan getting booed wouldn’t have been surprising since those locations aren’t particularly noted for their patient fans. It is very different for Kumasi fans who are the best supporters in Ghana and not just in football but sports-cue the Inter Colleges Athletics competition-culture and business.

In summary, Kumasi fans are the best supportive supporters and for them to universally boo Jordan Ayew clearly states enough is enough. If there is a glaring change that needs to be made to the Black Stars starting lineup that drew goalless against Nigeria at the Baba Yara Stadium this past weekend, it has to involve Jordan Ayew’s exit for Osman Bukari or Joseph Paintsil. The younger Ayew is the latest polarizing striker for the Black Stars as the Crystal Palace attacker has taken up the spot of the still not retired Asamoah Gyan with the latter frustrating fans with his profligacy in the biggest moments and delighting fans with crucial goals en route to those big moments.

While Jordan hasn’t scored as many goals as Gyan, his work rate and ability to draw fouls are admirable but those qualities he brings to the table are not so much welcomed by many a Ghanaian fan since the Black Stars lack a goal threat through the central forward line. To correct that against Nigeria in this second leg and ensure Ghana qualifies to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Coach Otto Addo needs to do a better job regarding changes to his personnel and the timing of those changes than he did in Kumasi.

While Addo received a ton of praise for his boldness to start Dennis Odoi in the former Fulham defender’s first outing with the Black Stars and doing the same with Felix Afena-Gyan, he showed his greenness in certain areas that could have played into giving Ghana an advantage heading into the second leg. Set piece duties needed a better executioner and the timing of his substitutes were poor considering his forward players were visibly exhausted from the demanding roles assigned them.

Jordan Ayew on free kick duty against Nigeria

Fatawu Issahaku and Jordan Ayew needed to be subbed after the 65^th minute to aid the team maintain its intensity on the Nigerian back line. It is telling, the Super Eagles were comfortable in the latter part of the second half just as they were late in the first half.

In tweaking the lineup, Ayew needs to be dropped to the bench because other players on the team bring those same contributions or qualities to the table. His qualities are easy to replicate and Ghana’s younger players provide better options in this regard than what Jordan does. In Osman Bukari and Joseph Paintsil, Ghana has guys that are faster, work harder and contribute more consistently in a high press than Jordan Ayew. Starting either of those two ahead of Ayew gives Ghana better odds of grabbing a goal or two to kill off the tie and seal progression to Qatar.

The shape of the team ought to be maintained since it is likely to serve the Black Stars qualification chances better in Abuja than it did in Kumasi. In the first leg, Nigeria played out a very compact midfield that had five players occupy the middle spaces at every given moment in the game. This made it difficult for Ghana’s inverted wingers Ayew and Fatawu Issahaku to find space to work with but in Abuja, Nigeria is expected to play a bit more openly knowing the threat an away goal for Ghana poses. Issahaku shows his youthfulness and naivety in stretches during games but needs to vary his style in order to put out a better performance than he did in Kumasi.

Cutting in and always looking to shoot on goal is all well and good but way too predictable; a quick interchange of passes around the edge of the penalty box after cutting on to his favourite left foot to open up the defensive line ought to be preached to him. The most ideal game plan up front from Otto Addo should have Joseph Paintsil start on the left, Afena-Gyan in the middle and Issahaku on the right side of attack with Bukari as a replacement for either Paintsil or Issahaku and Jordan Ayew as a middleman replacement.

A surprise element-dropping Jordan Ayew from the starting lineup- and its associated primary benefit (speed) gives Ghana its best chance of qualifying to Qatar at the expense of Nigeria.

For non football matters (but still connected to football), Sulley Muntari and the Black Stars are a bad mix

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 near 90 minute performance in testing temperatures for a 37 year old midfielder to drop a hammer of a 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 Cup 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 the team needs.

Dede Ayew got red carded against Comoros

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 in 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 Mbappe, Neymar among others, PSG didn’t have a leader 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 the most disappointing campaign ever for Ghana at the AFCON. A whole 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 controversy thus brews another controversy in the process.

Comoros players celebrate goal against Ghana

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 gun powder and a lit match in close 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 off 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.

SERVING PROPER MEALS ON GARBAGE CANS; GHANA PREMIER LEAGUE’S UNENDING UNATTRACTIVENESS STORY

Food is a foundational piece in determining what a specific culture is about for a people no matter how small or how big the group is anywhere in the world. Ghana as a nation has its delicacies some internationally know, others not so much; focusing on the positives, one food item that is well known beyond the nation’s borders is Jollof Rice. So popular this dish is, the upcoming 2022 World Cup deciding qualifying series against Nigeria has been dubbed the Jollof Derby.

Like Ghana, Nigeria has its variation of Jollof Rice as a very popular delicacy go beyond its borders that has sparked several debates about which country has the best jollof rice. Beyond jollof, football-at least in the Men’s category-is another flashpoint in the competitive rivalry between Ghana and Nigeria and the two legged tie between the countries to determine which nation progresses to Qatar is sure to have the world’s attention.

While Ghana’s Black Stars is expected to parade a wealth of foreign based players just like Nigeria, there is a strong sense only a handful of players in the Ghana Premier League would get a chance to make the team let alone feature in the games. Aren’t players in the Ghana Premier League not good enough to make the Black Stars at a time the national team lack quality options in many areas on the field or are the handlers of the team simply naysayers to the abilities of players from the league to improve the Black Stars?

It could be any of the above or it simply could be a situation of Ghana Premier League players suffering from wrong packaging by league managers to give strong conviction to Black Stars handlers to trust the abilities of players on the local scene. Beyond making players attractive to national team selectors, making players attractive to the Ghanaian market has proved to be a big challenge for Ghana’s significant football stakeholders.

The average fan struggles to identify club players and is largely disinterested in attending games, watching games on TV or electronic device and even monitoring team rankings. Only the Super Clash between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko and the “Mants33 Derby” between Hearts of Oak and Great Olympics gets the attention of the average fan. Even with those big clashes, there is a lot that should be done to improve attendance, coverage and viewership.

For the most part, pick a random weekly fixture and the reason behind the tough sell of the GPL is all too evident; bad pitches. Terrible pitches to be honest, are killing the fundamental sales point of the league to prospective football fans, football clients and football partners. No matter how well cooked jollof rice with the right garnishing is, presenting it on a garbage can essentially kills its appeal. It is difficult to not address a well dressed individual properly but very easy to do the opposite when an individual is not dressed properly.

Which prospective company with a major sponsorship package takes a league that has games played on terrible pitches seriously? Little wonder the GPL has struggled to get proper income from sponsors over the years. Who (aside the dyed in the wool fans or folks with vested interest in the games being played say commentators, photographers, food vendors) sits through an entire game played on the terrible pitches of the Dawu park, Ndoum Stadium or Berekum Golden City park?

The average Ghanaian fan can’t watch a full game due to the poor pitches games are played on since it isn’t only unattractive but literally painful to watch as eyes must be strained to monitor the flight of game balls kicked around. Bumpy pitches are robbing the league of quality possession sequences since players struggle to control the ball on the pot holed surfaces so balloon the ball the least chance they get.

Bad pitches are also hurting player consistency as bright spots in the league are consistently missing games due to knee, leg or foot troubles and have a hard time maintaining their availability. Hearts of Oak latest drawn game (eighth overall and the most in the league this season) against Legon Cities made the headlines not necessarily for the game’s outcome but for Sulley Muntari’s subtle but powerful words as he sat on the El Wak Stadium pitch nursing a knock.

“The pitch, the pitch” he said by reading his lips was the source of his discomfort to no one’s surprise as Muntari was bound to experience this one way or the other in his first season playing competitive football after spending over a decade playing on the lush green surfaces in European countries. Thanks to those European exploits that yielded an FA Cup, league titles and Champions League wins, Muntari is the biggest attraction in the GPL beyond Kotoko’s strike sensation Mbella Etouga.

Muntari in pain on the El Wak Stadium pitch

As such, having Muntari wince in pain because of the bad state of the pitch at El Wak is quite telling of what needs to be addressed as soon as possible to make the Ghana Premier League attractive as the quest to address other ills of the league continues. Muntari is the Ghana Premier League’s “proper meal of Jollof Rice” and there he was, sitting on a garbage can of a pitch at El Wak grimacing in pain. A picture is worth a thousand words and that picture aptly highlights the unending story of the Ghana Premier League’s unattractiveness.

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