Zivadinovic finally puts pen to paper as Stars' coach
Ghanaians say Cameroon’s boot is self-inflicted
Ghana’s absence from Korea-Japan despairs Razak Ibrahim
Accra (Greater Accra) 12 June 2002 - Yugoslav-born Milan Zivadinovic on Wednesday signed a two-year renewable contract with the Ghana Football Association as the new coach of the senior national team, the Black Stars.
His immediate task is to prepare the Stars for the 2004 Olympic and All Africa games and the Africa Nations Cup which according to the Chairman of the Ghana Football Association, Mr Ben Koufie, will be used as a springboard for 2006 World Cup qualifying matches.
Mr Koufie said the association would supplement the coach's monthly salary, which is speculatively $10,000. He could not however, say how much the GFA will be adding. Although, the GFA chairman was not prepared to give detaila of the contract, he said the Coach would be entitle to an official car, accommodation and a Ghanaian assistant.
Zivadinovic, 58, who had had stints with his own country, Qatar and Iraq said he chose Ghana ahead of other offers not because of the money involve but because of its great players. "The future of soccer is in Black Africa, I want to help Ghana qualify for the next world cup", said the coach who has been in the field for 30 years.
Zivadinovic leaves Ghana on Wednesday for Yugoslavia and is expected back by 20 June to begin his first phase of programmes which is in two-strands. He will assembled some selected foreign-based players currently holidaying in the country for a week's exercise and later move some local players to Europe for a 10-12 day programme where they are expected to play some trial matches.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 12 June 2002 - Most Ghanaians are of the view that African Champions, Cameroon, should have themselves to blame for bowing out of the World Cup at the group stages after failing to win their last match against Germany.
Interviews conducted by GNA Sports after the match showed that fans were disappointed as s they lament the early exit of Cameroon from the competition contrary to their expectations that the team will go beyond the last sixteen.
Many of the fans said the Indomitable lions must take all the blame since they had all the opportunities to beat Ireland in their opening group match but messed up the chances.
They also contended that the African champions should have been up by at least three goals in the first half of the game against Germany, but missed all the begging chances that came their way and allowed the Germans to make use of the few one's they had in the second half.
Mr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, Vice Chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), said there was no way Ireland could have stood before Cameroon in the opening match and this is the cause of the pain they are going through. He said if they had taken their chances in the first game and won the second match convincingly, they would have qualified for the second round easily.
Mr. Owusu-Ansah said they should come home and learn from their lessons so that they can do well the next time. Major (rtd) George Lamptey, a CAF Referees Instructor said, even though he did not watch the match, the high number of cards shown in the game was too much adding that the referee should have found a way of controlling the game.
He said the fault might come from the players, but believed the referee could have done something else about the situation. On the match, he said the Cameroonians lost to a better side and thinks they can do well next time.
Mr Herbert Addo head coach of Accra Hearts of Oak said there is nothing wrong with Cameroon coming out of the competition because it is normal in football. He said, "even the world champions, France are out of the competition and Cameroon's situation is no big news."
Mr Addo said though Cameroon were favourites among the African teams, "there is a difference between favourites and performance in a competition adding that they lost to a better team. This tournament is full of surprises, so I'm not surprised by the defeat at the hand of the Germans" Mr. Addo intimated.
Mr Seth Lamptey, national service personnel said the African challenge has been dealt a big blow since Cameroon was leading the agenda in the tournament. He was of the view that the Cameroonian team needs a technical shake up because Coach Winfred Schaefer has failed to make any meaningful impact on the team.
He said the German coach inherited a technically prepared team before the nations cup hence had it easy but stated that after the tournament he should have made some transformations in the team.
Mr Lamptey argued that the team is now ageing and there is the need to bring in fresh bloods since the likes of Rigobert Song, Raymond Kalla, Desire Job, Patrick Mboma are no more in good shape. He said the defeat was no surprise because the Germans can make use of their chances at any time in a game.
Cameroon were beaten by two goals to nil in their last group match against Germany and now joins Nigeria as the African countries being eliminated from the World Cup so far.
This is the third time they are bowing out at the group stages after reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in the 1990 World Cup in Italy, while the Nigerians have failed go beyond the group stage on two occasions after USA 1994 when got to the second round in the competition.
Senegal have already qualified for the knock out stages after a 3-3 draw game with Uruguay, while South Africa and Tunisia are still waiting for their last group matches to determine their fate.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 12 June 2002 - Black Stars midfielder Razak Ibrahim is enjoying the ongoing football World Cup as we are all doing but there are times when he wishes he was not watching. Great football skills, wonderful goals we’ve had them all at the World Cup.
And they’ve at times come from players he has played with and who, according to the dreadlock player, reminds him of how much Ghana is lagging behind on the international soccer scene.
When the USA stunned Portugal 3-2 last week, Landon Donovan and the frail looking Da Mascus Beasley were those who did the greatest damage to the world-acclaimed Portuguese. Landon Donovan and Da Mascus Beasley! Do you remember the names? Three years ago at the World U-17 tournament in New Zealand, the two were the mainstay of the USA team that stretched Ghana all the way before succumbing to the class of the Starlets in the third place decider.
Razak was a member of that team and like most Ghanaians, the appearance of players like Beasley and Donovan strikes a raw nerve. “I told my friends while we were watching the Portugal game. What it meant to me to see those players on the World Cup stage. Given the talent at Ghana’s disposal, we should have been on the stage like that. It tells me we are lagging behind. “We’ve been let down by administration at times, inconsistency in team building a few times but it’s not all gloom. I am confident Ghana would be at the next World Cup. This country deserves to be on football’s biggest stage.”
The appearance of Donovan and Beasley does not always leave Razak gloomy. He believes, in fact that it goes a way in vindicating the FA’s controversial decision to send young players like himself and others to the last Nations Cup in Mali. “When we were called up for the Nations Cup, it caused a bit of an uproar but we’ve seen some very young players at the World Cup. You’ve got to give the young ones a chance at some time and I am glad like most of the guys who went to Mali that our own came then,” he said.
There are those who would always argue Razak didn’t deserve his chance but in his estimation he did enough to justify himself with his hard running energetic play in midfield. He knows however, that keeping his place is the hardest part of the job. It is why he is so keen on impressing new stars coach Milan Zivadinovic.
He was around when we played Slovenia and spoke to us. I am keen to impress him and I hope his term as coach would help take Ghana football forward.”
While hoping to keep his place in the squad, Razak feels the team needs an injection of experience and class that isn’t currently available. “We still need Stephen Appiah and Otto Addo. It’s also good that a player like Christian Gyan who has vast experience being drafted back in.”
Appiah and Otto’s presence will put Razak’s already unsecured place under greater threat, but he stresses that the presence of the players is for the good of the national team. “You need the best players available at every time for the national team. It makes the team stronger. What’s important is that no one plays on the basis of his name or what he’d previously done but on merit,” he said.
If merit were to be measured by performance at club level then Razak would have been gone long ago. He came back from Nations Cup and overstayed the period allowed. Meanwhile his Italian division two team, Empoli, were battling on for promotion to Serie A. On his return, he spent virtually all his time on the bench. Now he wants a move despite the fat that the glamorous stage of Serie A is beckoning Empoli.
“I was punished for over-staying during my holidays but it’s been very much like that in Italy. You don’t get to play because you are young. The demands for results in Italy is so great so young players hardly get their chance.”
In France and St Etienne FC to be precise, he believes he has found the country and club where being young is not hindrance to first team football. It is the only reason why Razak is keen on a move to the once mighty French club despite the fact that they are still in the French second division.
A one-year loan deal has been proposed and Razak says he can’t wait for it to be sealed. For now though, he will keep watching the greatest football event on earth, the World Cup, drawing inspiration and despair from the likes of Beasley and Donovan and hoping that at the next event, he will be there himself.
GRi…/
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