Herbert Mensah

I am sure you know the current position of the Togo government wanting the team to return, the players wanting to stay, the fatal statistics and ISSA speaking with them personally.

As a Ghanaian I am concerned about our players and supporters who have travelled to Angola. As an African i am deeply saddened because it fits into the stereotype the global world has of us. As a businessman and African patriot i am saddened because capital doesn’t give a shit about soccer in Africa but will take other bigger decisions on whether to invest in Africa (for many Africa is one country full of black folk!!) based on world headline bulletins and stereo types. There may be terrorism in other parts of the world but when it comes to Africa there is a prejudice.

When ever something as significant as this happens we must go back and look at the structure of the competition and where ultimate responsibility lies. For us this is even more poignant as Ghana has an interest both in the tournament as well as in the group.

Given the history of the country there were always going to be potential security issues. I took Kotoko there many years ago and security and the preparation for potential problem was always high on my agenda. The same applied when we went to Brazzaville. Apparently CAF were aware of the threat issue and level and therefore the buck stops with them.

Football lovers simply want to see soccer played. My interest in making assessments on soccer has always been about administration and planning in the context of ones vision, the rules and sense of responsibility to the most important people…… the fans

African football since I have been involved has been managed and administered by people of massive mediocrity and unfortunately sustained by many of you in the media. Politicians of all sorts are but scavengers who should be kept on the straight and narrow by professional journalists.

In my days with Nokia i saw at close hand the importance and control money was for our governing bodies (Tunisia) and that is sad. We have few radicals left in our game but it is up to the enlightened and those who have not been compromised to always set the mark and ensure that the politicians understand that the false democracy in which we live and which they assume will last forever…  will only do so if they start doing the right thing!

Herbert Mensah