“If My Team Lost, What Has It Got to Do With My 12-Year-Old Daughter?” — Black Stars Team Doctor on Fans Pressure

When the Black Stars don’t live up to your expectations in a match and you take to social media to pour out your frustrations, do you know what those harsh words in your rants do to the team including their families and friends?

Black Stars team medical professional, Dr. Prince Pambo has highlighted the often overlooked emotional toll of public pressure on national team players, technical staff, and their families, especially in the age of constant social media scrutiny.

Speaking in an interview with broadcaster Kafui Dey, he said criticism directed at the team after poor performances often extends far beyond the pitch and into private family life.

“People put too much pressure on players, technical staff, and our families,” he noted, stressing how public reactions frequently spill into homes and affect spouses and children.

He explained that family members of team officials are sometimes exposed to uncomfortable situations in schools and social spaces following unfavourable match results, with children being questioned or teased about their parents’ roles in the team.

In one account, he recounted how a teacher allegedly instructed his 12-year-old daughter to tell him that he “should train the boys well because they are not fit, that’s why they lost the match.”

In another instance, Dr. Pambo described how his six-year-old daughter was emotionally affected after a defeat, saying she broke down in tears. “She was crying… because daddy lost,” he recalled, adding that such reactions show how deeply results can affect children who are not part of the sport.

Dr. Pambo also questioned the fairness of dragging children into football outcomes, stating, “If my team lost, what has it got to do with my 12-year-old daughter?”

He added that while public scrutiny is part of the job, families often bear an invisible burden. “You can’t easily destabilize them,” he said, noting that children today still struggle to process the pressure attached to their parents’ professions.

Dr. Pambo further acknowledged that working with national teams comes with both pressure and rewards, including professional and financial incentives, but maintained that the emotional impact on families is often underestimated in public discourse.