Let the Jawing Begin

One would have thought spirits would be low in the Stars’ camp given the disastrous start to the New Year.

Not so, as the impending CAN opener versus regional rival Nigeria seems to have gotten up the dander of both sides. A regular war of the words seems impending, and as usual, with one hand on the panic button is Stars clown-prince Joetex Frimpong.

Frimpong, as you might remember, is the lone man on the Stars roster to toil professionally in the Nigerian league. Asked whether he would have divided loyalties in the coming match, Frimpong responded sharply, calling into question the talents of many of his club teammates, “This is not champions league . . . nations cup is a platform for best players.”

Expect a warm reception back at the club, Joetex.

His words quickly earned a sharp response from Nigeria. Super Eagles midfielder and megamouth Winston Oruma boasted that there would be no room to hide for the Black Stars in Port Said, and noted that “I have had people talking of Stephen Appiah and other Ghanaian players. Yes, they are great, but people should know that there are many Stephen Appiahs in the Super Eagles squad. We are fully prepared for Ghana.”

Bringing notably classy captain Appiah into the mix was surely an unnecessary gesture, but I cannot believe that he will stoop to respond to these insults.

All and all, the countdown to next Monday has certainly started, and the fire is being fueled. Let’s see what the new day brings, shall we?