Then the wait for the much anticipated cash incentive began. Despite thumping his chest that he had unlimited funds, the SLFA boss could not deliver on his promise of giving $1000 to each player. On to Friday evening the manna from heaven had not dropped and some of the players began making noise. Reports say some of the players had planned to use that cash to settle their homes before the match as they were due back to their various clubs immediately after the match. On the eve of the match, that is Saturday, there was no money and some of the players stormed out of the camp, threatening not to play the match.
It took the intervention of Vice President Sam-Sumana to calm down nerves and address the situation on the proviso that the money would be made available to them by any means possible.
Also, it emerged late Saturday evening that there were differences in opinion in the Leone Stars camp with regards now discredited former captain Mohamed Kallon. According to investigations, some of the players are not happy with the shabby treatment being meted out now to Kallon by the FA boss. One of them is reported to have said, they might end up treating them the same way as they are treating the former captain now. Among the present crop of players, there are those who owe a lot to Kallon for nurturing them at a tender age and exposing them to Europe where they now ply their trade. This group is said to be unhappy with the way the FA is managing Kallon’s issue. They are particularly unhappy with the gradual politicisation of the game.
Nahim Khadi and the government exposed their insensitivity during the match. Instead of providing bottled water for the players, the government and FA bought plastic filtered water for the boys to drink, while their South African counterparts were drinking Lucozade. One of the boys slipped on one of the plastics strewn all over the stadium and injured himself.
These two factors put together may have been responsible for the team’s failure to win the match on Sunday against South Africa. The result of the other game between Niger and Egypt has put us in a precarious position. Niger won 1-0 which is why it would have been better to win the match that the draw we got. Now Niger’s tails are up, as they have beaten the strongest team in the group at home. Leone Stars will have to parley with them in the next two round of games. If such things are not avoided, we might be in for a shocker in Niamey.
