Audio By Carbonatix
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is to embark on some changes in the travelling plans of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations by axing individuals whose roles are not deemed crucial to the team during tournaments.
The changes, which will include ridding the Stars of individuals whose roles are not deemed crucial to the team during tournaments, are geared towards creating a pure football ambience for the players to perform.
Among those to fall casualties are Joseph Langabell, a known national drummer/entertainer of the team, and some media persons who have been perching with the national teams by sharing the same facilities, such as bus, hotel and even dressing rooms, with them.
“Apart from the 23 players and the technical team comprising, the head coach, his assistant, goalkeepers’ trainer, psychologist and welfare officer no other persons will be allowed access to the team at the 2015 AFCON”, a deep throat has told the Graphic Sports.
According to the deep throat: “It is now imperative to rid the Stars camp of persons whose roles are not clearly defined in the team, particularly during tournaments. This thing has cost the team massively in tournaments, particularly the last World Cup.
“The Stars camp was hugely populated by persons whose roles were not appropriately designated and other hangers-on whose presence contributed to the confusion in the camp leading to the violent attack by Sulley Muntari on Moses Armah, a member of the Executive Committee of the GFA”, he said passionately.
He cited Michael Essien’s testimony at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCI) to corroborate the Stars Management Committee’s plans to get rid of the undesirables ahead of the AFCON.
Michael Essien, a senior member of the Stars, who is currently suspended, had told the PCI that investigated the Stars ignoble showing at the last World Cup in Brazil that there were too many people around the team and that did not give the players the peace of mind to concentrate on the tournament.
Aside from that, the deep throat expressed concern about the common allegation that these hangers-on have often served as conduit to smuggle women into the team at peak moments of the Stars’ run and the reason they must be smoked out.
He said as an alternative plan, if it became necessary to admit those media persons who often joined the team under the guise of conducting interviews, special arrangements would be made to enable them interview the players.
Meanwhile, Langabell stands to be sorely missed by the radical changes to hit the Stars camp starting with the AFCON in Equatorial Guinea since from the deep throat sources his role will no longer be required in the Stars outfit.
But even though he is unlikely to join the team for the AFCON it is believed that his name has been included in the budget estimates for the competition with the designated role as an entertainer.
Langabell became associated with the Black Stars in 2009 as a national drummer and has remained an integral part of the team and is profoundly loved by the players, some of who, it is alleged, he has been running errands for.
Latest Stories
-
Congo to receive first group of deportees from US this week, sources say
1 hour -
Rabat launches UNESCO World Book Capital 2026 celebrations with major international book fair
3 hours -
Gabon reaffirms support for Morocco’s sovereignty over Sahara, welcomes UN Resolution 2797
3 hours -
São Tomé & Príncipe backs Morocco’s sovereignty over Sahara, endorses autonomy plan
3 hours -
Police grab two suspects in possession of 40 bundles of suspected stolen ECG cables
3 hours -
Information Services Dept of Upper East Region receives ultramodern vans
3 hours -
Court remands hunter over murder
4 hours -
Alcaraz out of Barcelona Open with wrist injury
4 hours -
Refereeing v Atletico ‘a robbery’ – Barca’s Raphinha
4 hours -
Former footballers to meet government over ‘financial abuse’
4 hours -
Chris Wood must manage knee issue for the rest of his life
4 hours -
OSP has grounds to appeal High Court decision on prosecutorial powers – Prof Appiagyei-Atua
5 hours -
OSP requiring AG approval for every case ‘absurd’ – John Darko
5 hours -
Ekitike to miss rest of season and World Cup – Deschamps
5 hours -
Volivo Bridge, Kumasi Ring Road set to take off as JICA secures fresh funding
5 hours