RTU players want new management
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 December 2001 - Black Stars deputy skipper, Samuel Osei Kuffuor, risks exclusion from Fred Osam Duodu’s final 22 for Mali 2002 after failing to report to camp since arriving in the country last Thursday.
This reality became evident when the Bayern Munich defender was not listed among the 22-man squad chosen for the team’s final leg tour of Spain and Egypt.
Speaking to the Graphic on Wednesday, Coach Osam Duodu could not hide his disappointment with the behaviour of the Stars’ deputy skipper and was at a loss as to why Kuffuor had still not contacted him nor reported to camp since his arrival.
The Bayern Munich’s ace defender had earlier failed to respond to a query from the Stars’ coach in connection with some derogatory remarks he made about the team during an interview with the BBC.
Responding to a question about his final decision on the player who is gunning for the prestigious African Best Player award, Osam Duodu asked Ghanaians not to be bothered about that since he is focused on parading a formidable squad in the forthcoming Nations Cup tournament.
Fortunately for him, the bulk of the invited foreign-based players he had long anticipated to join the team finally trooped in last Monday. Notable among them were Mohammed Gargo, Stephen Appiah, Yakubu Abubakari, Matthew Amoah, Michael Essien, John Mensah, Christian Gyan and George Blay.
Apart from Gargo, who has officially asked to be excused, the rest, together with Charles Amoah, who has recovered from his toe injury, Derek Boateng, Kofi Amponsah, Alex Tachie-Mensah, Razak Ibrahim, Baffour Gyan and others were expected to emplane to Spain on Wednesday night to play a select side in Bilbao on Saturday.
The team is expected to be joined in Spain by Portugal-based Emmanuel Duah. The Stars’ head coach revealed that the squad will be dominated by the foreign-based players to enable him assess them well.
He however, stressed that the absence of some local players from the trip does not mean they have been axed from the team, since the final list is not ready yet. After Saturday’s match in Spain, the Stars will fly direct to Egypt to engage the Pharaohs in their last away friendly on January 4 before returning home to play host to Benin in Accra on January 6.
Meanwhile, the Black Stars held their Malian counterparts to a 1-1 draw in their international friendly in Mopti last Tuesday. Baffour Gyan shot the Stars ahead in the first half before the Malians pulled even in the second half.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 27 December 2001 - The Sports Supporters of Ghana (SSOG) is mobilising about 200 Ghanaians to cheer the Black Stars during the 23rd African Cup of Nations in Mali from January 19 to February 10 next year.
Mr James Yarlley Chairman and Founder of the group disclosing this to the press at a press conference in Accra on Monday said the supporters would include hundred bandsmen and cheerleaders, one radio sports presenter from each region of the ten regions of Ghana and two members of the female national team the Black Queens.
The chairman said there would also be 'star supporters,' made up of two persons nominated by each of the 22 players who make the final team and winners of a special radio quiz competition to be organised by SSOG.
He said their decision to allow the players the opportunity to choose two supporters of their choice is to allow people close to the players to watch them in action and fire them up to do well.
Mr Yarlley said SSOG is mobilising support for the Stars "because money alone cannot motivate the players to win the cup for Ghana hence, the need for a massive moral support for the team."
He said the leadership of SSOG believes the present team is made up of dedicated players who can win the cup for Ghana and are therefore determined to supplement their commitment with a strong support base that would get the best out of them.
The chairman said SSOG is also planning to come out with its own sports magazine very soon to publicise their activities and widen its membership base.
He said plans are in the pipeline for the formation of an African Sports Supporters Association to support teams of African countries, which qualify for international competitions such as the World Cup.
He also announced that SSOG would introduce a new way of preaching virtues through 'Soccer Evangelism' at the stadiums during soccer matches next year in memory of the May 9 Accra Sports Stadium disaster victims.
He said they are going to look for pastors and imams to speak the word of God to fans before the beginning of every match.
Mr Yarlley appealed to individuals, groups and corporate bodies to come to the aid of the supporters in both cash and kind to enable the group to send two hundred people to Mali to support the Stars to recapture the African Cup.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 27 December 2001 - From a highly placed position of favourites in almost every Nations Cup competition dating as far back as the 60s, the senior national team, Black Stars have presently fallen to an under-dog status.
Even at the Mali 2002 fiesta, only a very few strong hearts expect them to get far. The point of reference has been the group Ghana finds itself in - South Africa, Morocco and Burkina Faso.
However, Stars central defender Princeton Owusu Ansah is highly optimistic of flying past the preliminary stage and progressing deep into the competition.
“I get amused when I hear people rule us out. As far as I am concerned, the whole team is in a combative spirit, all-eager to carve a niche for themselves. And we believe Mali presents the platform for history. This is why none should dare cross us out,” the Obuasi Goldfields formidable defender noted.
According to Princeton who played a yeoman’s game during Goldfields Champions League finale against Raja Casablanca of Morocco in 1997, “I will bring my experience to bear to ensure no forwardline breaks through our defence.”
He called for the total support of Ghanaians “because we are going to do our best but without their prayers and backing things may not go well.”
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Tamale (Northern Region) 27 December 2001 - Trouble seem to be brewing in the camp of the “Pride of the North”, Real Tamale United as the playing is asking for a change in management.
According to the players, lack of good managerial abilities and favouritism led to the poor showing of the club during the just ended soccer season. General skipper, Bobby Alhassan, made the disclosure to The Ghanaian Times in an interview at Tamale.
He said management failed to give the playing body what it was due, thus creating low morale in the team. “We cannot continue like this when the new season commences after the CAN 2002 tournament,” he added.
The general skipper, was therefore of the view that a change in management will do the club a lot of good if the current management can not change its discouraging ways of doing things.
The technical team was also not spared. It was accused of having favourites among the playing body while some players are disliked outright.
Such developments, Bobby Alhassan said contributed in no small way towards the poor showing of the club in the league and knockout competition.
“RTU will certainly bounce back in style next season if the corrections are made,” he said.
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