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Do Ghana really need Mario Balotelli?
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Posted On Sunday, 15th August 2010
Mario Balotelli’s decision to turn down an opportunity to play for Ghana and opt for his country of birth, Italy, will not hurt the West African nation replete with promising prospects.
The dark complexion, pronounced haircut, firm features and strong physique of the Italian forward Mario Balotelli convinced many Ghanaians that the newly-signed Manchester City striker was an authentic blood from the former Gold Coast.
And many felt he could join the promising generation of the Black Stars or Starlets, to boost the new army that’s hopping to own the future of African football.
Ghana’s FA agitated initially to lure one of the most reticent foreign-born Africans to come back home and take pure love and cheers from his real people.
A number of soccer fans and pundits on the continent had been overwhelmed by such a prospect, prompting some to draw an imaginary Ghana squad including youthful Adiyah, Ayew, Boateng, Balotelli, etc.
But the Italian, born to Ghanaian parents, seemed unapproachable and had his strong reasons to choose his camp, which he eventually did, making his Italy debut on Tuesday to dash every hope of seeing him, one fateful day, wear the white and black jeysey of Ghana.
“Goodbye Balotelli, we wish you good luck, and our prayers go with you,” one could hear helpless fans sighing and bowing away.
Many African players born outside Africa and having the qualification to play for more than one country have retraced their steps back to reconnect with the continent, playing for national teams of their ancestral nations.
Others too, don’t see the usefulness fleeing the warmth and immediate love surrounding them in their birth places to come to a strange Africa to display stingy patriotism.
However, it’s a free world; anybody can choose to live and trade where they want. Africans, in the quest of means to enrich their national teams, chase after anyone, originally of their own, who has begun to make some waves somewhere afar.
Don’t ignore the circumstances which led to the emigration of the kid’s parents from Mama Africa.
Don’t ignore the situations surrounding the birth and upbringing of the kid you want to re-adopt.
Don’t forget that many things may have reshaped the kid’s mindset, slashing his African-ness to a mere colour devoid of force and passion.
But we in Africa can’t just wait, perpetually courting our European-born cousins to come help us win soccer trophies. We’ve got to do it with those in hand-nobody is indispensable
Balotelli may be an awesome talent, but Ghana’s football can still live without him, or has always lived without him.
Hate him or love him, he’s calmly moving along with his life and career, to the best of his wishes; so too we wish Ghana to move on.
The bunch of stars – fledgling, confirmed and experienced – Ghana have currently may not even need the services of a Balotelli, neglected by Jose Mourinho who often fielded Ghana’s Sulley Muntari, who was several times absent from the Black Stars starting XI during the 2010 World Cup.
If the European champion was benched in favour of other Ghanaian players, then Balotelli might not even have found a bench to sit on had he come to Accra.
I would tell Ghana to forget about Mario Balotelli and pamper their available sons whose blood is still as precious whether born in Takoradi, am I right?
Source:Goal.com
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Posted On Sunday, 15th August 2010
Mario Balotelli’s decision to turn down an opportunity to play for Ghana and opt for his country of birth, Italy, will not hurt the West African nation replete with promising prospects. The dark complexion, pronounced haircut, firm features and strong physique of the Italian forward Mario Balotelli convinced many Ghanaians that the newly-signed Manchester City striker was an authentic blood from the former Gold Coast.
And many felt he could join the promising generation of the Black Stars or Starlets, to boost the new army that’s hopping to own the future of African football.
Ghana’s FA agitated initially to lure one of the most reticent foreign-born Africans to come back home and take pure love and cheers from his real people.
A number of soccer fans and pundits on the continent had been overwhelmed by such a prospect, prompting some to draw an imaginary Ghana squad including youthful Adiyah, Ayew, Boateng, Balotelli, etc.
But the Italian, born to Ghanaian parents, seemed unapproachable and had his strong reasons to choose his camp, which he eventually did, making his Italy debut on Tuesday to dash every hope of seeing him, one fateful day, wear the white and black jeysey of Ghana.
“Goodbye Balotelli, we wish you good luck, and our prayers go with you,” one could hear helpless fans sighing and bowing away.
Many African players born outside Africa and having the qualification to play for more than one country have retraced their steps back to reconnect with the continent, playing for national teams of their ancestral nations.
Others too, don’t see the usefulness fleeing the warmth and immediate love surrounding them in their birth places to come to a strange Africa to display stingy patriotism.
However, it’s a free world; anybody can choose to live and trade where they want. Africans, in the quest of means to enrich their national teams, chase after anyone, originally of their own, who has begun to make some waves somewhere afar.
Don’t ignore the circumstances which led to the emigration of the kid’s parents from Mama Africa.
Don’t ignore the situations surrounding the birth and upbringing of the kid you want to re-adopt.
Don’t forget that many things may have reshaped the kid’s mindset, slashing his African-ness to a mere colour devoid of force and passion.
But we in Africa can’t just wait, perpetually courting our European-born cousins to come help us win soccer trophies. We’ve got to do it with those in hand-nobody is indispensable
Balotelli may be an awesome talent, but Ghana’s football can still live without him, or has always lived without him.
Hate him or love him, he’s calmly moving along with his life and career, to the best of his wishes; so too we wish Ghana to move on.
The bunch of stars – fledgling, confirmed and experienced – Ghana have currently may not even need the services of a Balotelli, neglected by Jose Mourinho who often fielded Ghana’s Sulley Muntari, who was several times absent from the Black Stars starting XI during the 2010 World Cup.
If the European champion was benched in favour of other Ghanaian players, then Balotelli might not even have found a bench to sit on had he come to Accra.
I would tell Ghana to forget about Mario Balotelli and pamper their available sons whose blood is still as precious whether born in Takoradi, am I right?
Source:Goal.com
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