<<Print>>

Ghana defender John Panstil fears unnecessary criticism of players could cripple the Black Stars ahead of the 2013 and 2014 qualifiers. Ghana players are believed to be constrained by fear of making mistakes when they represent their country due to the pressure that comes with wearing the shirt. The Black Stars, touted as one of the huge favourite to win the 2012 African Cup of Nations could only manage a fourth-placed finish which led to a torrent of criticism for both players and management. Star striker Asamoah Gyan took an indefinite break from international football after coming in for heavy dose of it. The 26-year-old, considered as one of the leading figures in the Ghana camp, called time on his international career claiming he�s had enough of the �verbal abuse� following his semi-final penalty miss against Zambia. Long-standing goalkeeper Richard Kingson buckled under media scrutiny after making mistakes in the qualifiers to the continental showpiece this year. Panstil, 30, revealed that the players feel the weight of expectation of the media but want them to measure their criticism since it could have dire consequences on the team. �A lot of responsibilities lie on the shoulders of the media as well,� the Leicester right-full back told Accra-based Happy FM �What I do know is that if the radio presenters and the journalists do not bring any topic to be discussed, the fans will not get the chance to pick their phones and talk. �It should be topics that will enhance our game not bordered on personality attacks. No one is above criticism, but it�s the way its done. �For instance if we lose a match and ask why player A did not pass the ball to player B, obviously the fan who want us to win all the time and feels disappointed will pick his phone and vent his spleen on us. �In England for instance, it�s the media that make their players big. They don�t play any better than us but the truth of the matter is that they project their players in the positive light. �If I tell you what I have gone through because of what some of the Ghanaian media have done, you will be amazed. At the right time, I will voice them out. Today this, tomorrow that. �We�re (media and players) are partners and we work together and so know why some persons will deliberately try to run others down for no justifiable reason. �Am not saying you�re not doing your work well but I believe more can be done so we can all contribute to the success of our national team. The Black Stars will begin the journey to the World Cup in Brazil with a double �header against minnows Lesotho and African Champions Zambia in June.