British Airways puts Sol Campbell in hot seat
Campbell visited Ghana along with Ghanaian-born, ex-Dutch midfielder George Boateng, to launch the Unity Match. The Unity Match aims to use football as a catalyst to foster peace and unity among Ghanaians and reduce tensions ahead of the country's 2016 general elections. Campbell and Boateng, along with a select squad of retired players such as Edgar Davids, Steve McManaman, Didier Drogba, Patrick Kluivert, and Ghanaian Peace Ambassador, Stephen Appiah, among others will play in two matches, against Ghana's Black Stars and the Asante Kotoko Football Club.
Sol Campbell, former Tottenham, Arsenal and England defender gave his tips and opinions on topics from travel to football. He packs his bags depending on the destination and is prepared for any outcomes. "It's all about finding the right balance, but two things I never leave home without? Definitely my phone and the cross my mum gave me."
Campbell also shares the following tips for air-travel:
• Devices are your friend: use the BA app to manage your booking and avoid possible queues, and to while away the time in the air with movies, games, audiobooks or a great playlist. Keep your devices charged and remember to take chargers and plugs that are compatible with plugs at your destination. It's also worth investing in a good portable charger or power bank to make sure your devices stay charged;
• It's usually no use getting impatient about delays when travelling. There's generally very little you can do about them and worrying about missing connecting flights and so on will just stress you;
• If you're on a longer-haul flight, wear layers of comfortable clothing, stay hydrated and remember to stretch regularly.
Although he was in Ghana for only two days, Sol is very excited about returning to the country in June. "I haven't seen nearly as much as I'd have liked, but everyone I met was so friendly, I'm really looking forward to coming back."
Trophy-winning predictions
Giving his trophy-winning predictions for the season to British Airways, Sol said: "My heart wants Arsenal to win the Premier League, but I have a feeling Manchester City will probably win it again. It's still a long way off for the FA Cup, and I don't think any team has won it three times in a row, but you'll never know - Arsenal could win that too. I think however that if Arsenal won the Premier League and not the FA Cup, they would be okay with that."
Sol, who won several honours for his imposing defensive style and was once described as "indestructible" by Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, felt that the main change in the game since his retirement was in defence. "Either the forwards have gotten better, or the defenders are not as on it as they should be; studying the game and the players - there is a disconnect somewhere."
Sol praised Brazilian forward Ronaldo as ultimately the best player he had to defend against. "I may not have won all my battles, but I definitely won the wars. I do wish I were 25 years old again so I could play against guys like Messi, Suarez and Diego Costa."
On the new signings for various teams in the league this season, he added: "I think Petr Cech has been the most impressive buy this season. He may have made the occasional mistake, but if you look at the statistics and his performances, he has done really well."
Sol Campbell and George Boateng visited a football clinic put together by British Airways for youth team coaches and young boys from underprivileged communities while in Ghana. Sol was impressed with the amount of Ghanaian support for the English Premier League and was pleased with the performance of Ghanaian and Africans players this season. "I think the quality has always been there; what is important is organisation and infrastructure. It is what they learn at the youth stage that would instil the kind of discipline and thinking that would give them a real shot in European football."
