C.K. Akonnor Blasts Attacks On Richard Kingson

Ex-Ghana captain C . K. Akonnor has lashed out at calls by a section of Black Stars supporters for Richard Kingson to retire from the national team.

Drawing on the circumstances that led to his retirement from the Black Stars eight years ago, Akonnor says the country’s heroes are turned into villains overnight.

Kingson has been under fire for the three goals Ghana conceded in the matches against Congo and South Korea over the past five days.

This came just few days after he threatened to quit the Black Stars after a fan verbally abused him during Ghana’s training session in Accra.

The 2-1 defeat to South Korea on Tuesday has piled pressure on Kingson to quit but Akonnor says fans are prematurely ending the careers of good players.

“We are being grossly unfair to Kingson and some of the criticism and calls for him to quit are over the top,” said Akonnor who captained the team in the early 2000s said.

“This goalkeeper took Ghana to the Nations Cup final and World Cup finals and few months down the line some vile insults are being directed at him.

“If you observe his matches fairly he rarely commits mistakes yet for some reason some people just want to attack him for serving his country.

“If you are in his position like I was when I was pushed out of the national team you will how painful these things are. Especially when you put your life down for your country.

“Stephen Appiah made this current Black Stars what it is now. Today it is as if he doesn’t exist. It is sad how we treat people who do their best for the country.

“Criticism is good to help spot mistakes and help in improving but the sort of attacks and insults Kingson has been made to endure is despicable.”

Kingson has led the Black Stars to several successes in recent times including a place at the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola last year.

He was the key shot-stopper when Ghana reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup in South Africa last year.