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Expect the usual strong denials and sharp rebuttals from the Ghana FA, but once again Africa's model football association, according to FIFA, pulled all the diplomatic stops and negotiating skills to avoid what could easily have been a black spot ahead of the World Cup kick off today in Soccer City.
After complaints from Black Stars players about the Roode Vallei Hotel complex, the FA moved quickly to quench any potential flaspoint. I was in Johannesburg with my South African colleagues when the news broke from Pretoria that team Ghana had packed bags and checked out of their hotel because of ''poor facilities''. The barrage of questions that followed was not amusing.
In the first instance,the hosts wanted to know what went wrong and why the Ghanaian contingent had not made absolutely certain of the hotel, facilities and every aspect of operational functions for the biggest football event in the world.
The FA's quick action following closed door meetings with the players averted what would surely have been potentially damaging headlines which would have been a distraction ahead of the big day....Africa's big day!
The official position on the GFA's official website reads ''The Ghana Football Association has relocated the Team Base Camp (TBC) of the Black Stars from the Roode Vallei Hotel in Pretoria to Sun City in Rustenburg. The relocation has been neccesitated by unresolved technical issues at the Roode Vallei Hotel''.
Let us wrongly assume that Ghanaians and South Africans are not very 'smart' people and easily accept everything that they are told by officials tasked to look after ''state property''. Even a primary school student would have found it hard to buy the flimsy position of the GFA. Thankfully, the President of Ghana, His Excellency Prof Mills is here for today's opening ceremony as well as the Black Stars game against Serbia on Sunday. My guess is, he would have been briefed by the Sports Minister Hon. Akua Sena Dansua (as should be the case after she is briefed by the FA).
The simple truth? The place was not good enough and some players complained. Full stop. No amount of denials, PR or clean up campaigns can change the facts. Having said that, credit must still be given to GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi whose success story seems to be the example FIFA is using to charge other African associations to sit up and put their house in order.
The refreshing news for Ghanaians is that the team has now settled down well at their new Sun City Resort in Rustenburg.
Sun City is an African community that grew up around a resort and casino. Today the resort consists of four different hotels, all owned by the same group and located less than two hours from Johannesburg. The team had to make the 200 km long trip from Pretoria following an academic but very useful run out against Ethekwini Coastal Academy.
Goals from Dominic Adiyiah, Stephen Appiah and Matthew Amoah withing 45 minutes ensured a first half lead of 3:0 for the Black Stars. Back from recess, Prince Tagoe added the last goal in a 4-0 win. Now, the prayer of every Ghanaian is that the real Black Stars will turn up and shine against Serbia on Sunday.
By Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, former BBC correspondent and now with e.tv Ghana
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