Impossible to believe, really, until I’d viewed it for myself. Home fans chanting ‘miss – miss’ – derisory chanting aimed at their own captain stepping up to take a penalty. Which was saved. And the jeering from the home fans promptly burst out into ironic celebration. The disconnect between fans and team was jaw-dropping to watch.
What made it incredible was that the penalty taker was West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus, the captain of Ghana who was subjected to the jeering and celebration by his own supporters when his penalty was saved. As journalist Saddick Adams tweeted /X’d: “The highest form of disapproval I’ve experienced.” This after Ghana suffered a late 2-1 loss at home to Niger yesterday.
Ghana had failed spectacularly to qualify for AFCON 25 and finished winless: Mohammed Kudus their captain had come in for particular pitch-side and social media abuse. This from a football-mad fan base who failed to qualify for the first time in decades. If we as West Ham followers were hoping for Kudus to return to Stratford in a calm, more balanced place I suspect we are going to be disappointed.
A disconnected fan base, universal disapproval, utter contempt shown for management and players alike as results nosedive leads only one way. Couldn’t happen here, could it? Of course not. West Ham have a massive fan base, over a hundred million just invested in a squad: But years of rumblings and protests about pricing, concessions, ownership – have all been swept under the carpet thanks to a good run on the pitch with the club’s first trophy in living memory.
But Kudus’ experience with Ghana tells us that the fickleness of football fans lurks very close to the surface. Results on the pitch are everything. If the nose dive towards the bottom three at West Ham continues, who know where it’d end.
In the meantime I hope the club take very good care of Mohammed Kudus: Right now, he needs an arm around his shoulders and some words of encouragement. His form could go either way but a ‘reboot’ at West Ham could offer respite rather than a source of further frustration – if Lopetegui and his staff have it in them. What better way to head off talk of an Arsenal or Liverpool swoop.
Well at last Martin, an article about Kudus where you didn’t put the boot in or use derogatory, racist terms like “Boy” and “Star Boy”.
If I was Kudus, I would look for a more successful place to ply my trade and maybe even decline any future offers to represent Ghana. If he does stay at West Ham, I am sure there will be good times again for both, but someone with player management skills will be key.
I was there on that great day in 1980 against arsenal for the John lyall tactical master class, or was I?
Every West Ham supporter was born after 1980 was they?
I watched the Ghana match vs Niger, Kudos was the best player out there, but goodness the standard was poor. Football mad public in Accra didn’t show up, the stadium was 80% empty but the few that were in attendance were quite enthusiastic and supportive. Better team won on the day.
Pedants corner here Martin! “First trophy in living memory” I can remember as far back as 1964 and I believe we won a trophy then, and, just checking, I seem to be living 😂