GRi Sports 17 - 02 - 2003

 

 

Accusations fly at GFA over rejected coach

 

Accra (Greater Accra) 17 February 2003 - A state of paralysis enveloped the Ghana Football Association (GFA) headquarters at the Ministries in Accra on Friday, following the Executive Board’s declaration that none of the three coaches shortlisted for the post of Black Stars coach qualified enough to be appointed to handle the senior national team barely three months to their crucial African Cup of Nations qualifier against Uganda.

 

Public Agenda can report authoritatively that the GFA management team headed by veteran coach Ben Koufie, endorsed German handler Burkhard Ziese who was head and shoulders above the rest at the interview conducted by a very competent panel headed by Fred Pappoe, a top administrator with the Dutch Embassy in Ghana and top official of ‘Wonder Club’ Accra Great Olympics.

 

The paper sighted a contractual agreement already prepared awaiting the signature of FA officials and Burkhard Zeise of 53809 Ruppicheroth, Federal Republic of Germany. “This is a stab in the back. We have done everything possible and landed the person who has the pedigree to make the Black Stars strong again, then some people sit somewhere and put stokes into our works. I’m very disappointed,” a GFA official mused to the Agenda.  

 

Ben Koufie, the FA chairman is out of town. He is in Nigeria with the Minister of Youth and Sports, Edward Osei-Kwaku. In his absence, no official wanted to go on record. But there is a mood of despondency following the decision by the Executive Council to veto the appointment of Burkhard.

 

There is a growing feeling that the decision not to endorse the candidature of the German stemmed from two fronts. There are Executive Council members allegedly lobbied by L-Sporto representatives following the rejection of the L-Sporto candidate Manuel Goncalves Gomes of Portugal.

 

The other group allegedly claimed that the German was not respectful of authorities when he took charge of the Black Stars and qualified the national team for the African Cup of Nations in Senegal in 1992 after several years in the wilderness.

 

Gomes’ original curriculum vitae was doctored. For instance, the CV said he was fluent in English and Spanish. It turned out at the interview that he did not understand a word of English and needed an interpreter at the interview.

 

Following the Executive Council’s decision not to endorse any of the three candidates including Black Stars caretaker coach Emmanuel Kwasi Afranie, the Ghanaian has been given temporary charge until a substantive coach is appointed. – Public Agenda

 

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