Leave Richard Kingston Alone!

Coach Kwesi Appiah has come under a lot of attack for inviting Richard Kingston for the all-important game against Egypt. A key thematic strand that runs through these criticisms is simply that Kingston is too old. The official age put out by the player, and recorded by CAF, indicates that Kingston is 35 years old. Obviously, in association football this is not too old for a goalkeeper.

Examples abound of goalkeepers who played or are playing past this 35-year threshold. We can point to Edwin van der Sar and Jens Lehmann, who played at the highest level with very good teams (Manchester United and Arsenal FC, respectively) well into their late 30s. In fact, Mark Schwarzer, the 41-year-old Australian, continues to play as the first-choice keeper at Fulham, where he has started every Premier League match this season. More so, Peter Shilton, the former English goalkeeper was 40 years during the 1990 World Cup. Although not many, some outfield players have also surpassed this threshold.

Of course, I can hear my critics arguing that all these goalkeepers I have mentioned played with their real ages. Still, what is our business in questioning—or abusing—Kingston ALONE for lying about his age? If a 500-year-old Richard is deemed to be fit by managers of Doxa Katokopias FC, in Cyprus, to play competitive football, what makes us think that he is too old to do same for the Black Stars? More so, why are we holding Richard Kingston to a different standard relative to the other players of the Black Stars? How many of the current Black Stars players, aside those born abroad, can honestly say that they are playing with their real ages? Michael Essien? Asamoah Gyan?

Our players have always falsified their ages. This is not new. In fact, our players have been emboldened to lie about their ages, because we (Ghana), like many African countries, have a systemic problem with maladministration and official corruption. First of all, our farcical birth registration system, which is abused at will, allows anyone—just anyone—to change his/her records at any time. To be sure, until our passport production process went biometric, it was not uncommon for people to have as many as five passports. Second, age-cheating has progressively received official backing from the upper echelons of our football administration. Officials beg players to lie!

For a long time, our teams at the junior levels, particularly the under-17 teams, consistently outperformed their counterparts at the world championships (e.g. 1991 and 1995). Rather surprisingly, the trend stalled after the Ben Koufie-led administration decided to, for once, feature players who were close to their real ages. Essentially, this problem didn’t start today, and it will not end tomorrow. Unless we make a conscious attempt to address this systemic problem, this needless argument will rage on.

Needless to say, this unnecessary taunting of Kingston is shameful and depressing to him. I will even go as far as saying that it is ageist. The fact that it had to take the Confederation of African Football to quell this debate makes it all the more senseless. If Kingston is healthy and competitive, Kwesi Appiah has every right to invite him. If other players who are faithfully warming the bench at their respective clubs have received a call-up, Kingston, who is playing week in week out, definitely deserves consideration. More so, if other age-cheats have been called up, Kingston needs to grab his opportunity, too.

This embarrassment of a player, who has served the nation so well, should stop!

Dr. Godwin Y Agboka

Email: presidoo@gmail.com