Black Stars assistant coach and former international, John Paintsil, has shed light on the inception of the Black Stars’ tradition of welcoming new players with a dance ritual.
In recent years, the Black Stars have gained recognition for fostering camaraderie among team members through this unique tradition that dates back to 2007.
The team has established a culture where newly invited players are required to entertain their teammates by performing a welcome dance upon joining the squad. This practice has become synonymous with the Black Stars, with players such as Inaki Williams, Kyereh, and numerous others participating in this team ritual during their debut call-ups.
The mastermind behind this tradition, John Paintsil, formerly a player for the Black Stars, has now been appointed as an assistant coach under Otto Addo, who has been given the nod to head the team for his second term.
Paintsil, who enjoyed camaraderie during his time with the national team, disclosed that he introduced this practice during his playing days as a means to foster unity and cohesion among teammates.
He reminisced about how he initiated this ritual, beginning with star player Andre Ayew, who now captains the team.
“It was very tough and difficult to communicate amongst the stars, when players arrived, they were all scattered around different places, so I was sitting down and I said football without unity you can’t go. So, I came up with this dance as every first-time player, when you come, you must dance, compulsory. So, Dede was sitting down and Muntari and I just went to drag him. So, it has been there since and these things always bring us together as it keeps all of us going,” he said.
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Paintsil, who recently transitioned into coaching after an illustrious playing career, expressed his satisfaction that the tradition has endured beyond his generation of players. He believes that maintaining this culture will continue to strengthen team unity and communication, both on and off the field.
The former right-back had an illustrious career with over 80 appearances for the national team and over 90 premier league appearances, having played for Fulham and Westham.
Having started his career in 1999, Painstil went on to play at two World Cups as he was part of the team that featured in Ghana’s maiden participation at the 2006 and 2010 World Cup in Germany, South Africa, and five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
ah john paintsil too he fool like that?🤣🤣🤣🤣pic.twitter.com/0ALFf0VaOU
— Orlando 🎈🇬🇭 (@starboyorlando_) March 24, 2024
Regarded as one of the most successful Ghanaian footballers in recent times, Painstil announced his retirement in 2016 and then started a new career in coaching as he became an assistant coach for Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa between 2016 and 2017.
Following his retirement, Paintsil expressed his intention to contribute significantly to Ghanaian football by leveraging his experience in developing clubs from grassroots levels into strong entities. This aspiration has now materialised with his appointment as an assistant coach for the Black Stars.
However, his debut as an assistant coach didn’t unfold as expected, as the team endured a disappointing 2-1 loss to arch-rivals Nigeria in Marrakech. This defeat has undoubtedly provided the technical team with valuable insights and considerations as they prepare for their upcoming match against Uganda on Tuesday.
Highlighting the importance of fostering unity within the team, Paintsil also reminisced about a crucial moment during the 2006 World Cup match against the USA, where the team’s current coach and former teammate, Otto Addo, came to his rescue. It was their collective unity that prevented his mistake from negatively impacting the team.
“Our head coach I remember in 2006 World Cup against USA, I missed my move and Dempsey was clean through on goal, I felt I was done because during that time you make a mistake in the national team and you don’t return. I turned around and I saw him, he trekked for me and won the ball and I was saved. That is why I said you play for your teammates so I’d say thank you very much for keeping this going,” he further added.
Despite facing criticism from fans over his appointment, John Paintsil alongside the technical team are determined to put in extra effort to restore the joy that the Black Stars once brought to their supporters.
Frank-Kamal Acheampong|3Sports|Ghana