Gargo believes Stars fortunes under Zivadinovic would improve
GFA to take decision on FIFA presidency soon
Accra (Greater Accra) 16 May 2002 - Okwawu United pipped Real Tamale United (RTU) by alone goal in their rescheduled sixth week Premier League match played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Wednesday. Okwawu needed to win to satisfy their angry supporters after a string of poor performances.
They took control of the game from the start and created many good chances which they failed convert. In the 19th and 21st minutes for an example, Okwawu came close but Paul Amponsah and Osei Bonsu, wasted chances through wayward shooting, respectively.
Against the run of play, RTU nearly took the lead in the 37 minute through Alhassan Weah's daring effort as he stretched to beat advancing Dauda Fatawu in post but the ball missed the target by few centimetres. Success nearly crowned Okwawu's first half efforts when in the 43rd minute when Amponsah's volley from 30 metres rebounded off the goalpost to end the half.
On resumption, Okwawu pushed more men forward and played mostly in the half of RTU, who looked contented with the barren score line. Deservingly Okwawu opened the score in the 68th minute through Isaac Asante, who found himself unmarked in the box of RTU to fire a grounder beyond Dauda for the only goal of the match. The goal forced RTU out of their defensive shell but it was too late as Okwawu maintained their composure at the back to register their second win of the season.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 May 2002 - Mohammed Gargo, skipper of 'Seria A' team Udinese has expressed confidence in the ability of Millan Zivadinovic, the newly signed-on coach of the Back Stars, to turn round the dwindling fortunes of the team for the better "provided things are done the right way."
Speaking to the GNA Sports, Gargo who has been in and out of the national team in recent times said even though he does not know the coach, "the style of play in Yugoslavia is similar to Ghana. "They have emphasis on skill and flair and attacking options which suits our game".
He said for the coach to succeed, so many things would have to be put right with our game since presently the organisation of football in Ghana, does not auger well for any meaningful progress. "The modern game is now result oriented, but the benefits do not come over night. It comes rather through hard work, meticulous planning and consistency in team building."
Gargo said currently the way the national team is changed after every match where the intended results is not achieved takes away the consistency in the team hence there is no improvement in our game. He said the accepted norm in international team building is that the squad is reinforced with players and not wholesale rejection of everybody as it happens here.
He said presently the way the national team prepares for tournaments like the world cup qualification is also not satisfactory explaining "if we want to qualify, preparations must start now otherwise the World Cup would continue to be an illusion for Ghanaians".
The Udinese defender who had to skip the African Cup of Nations held in Mali earlier this year to pursue a possible transfer to fellow Serie A team, Inter Milan which later fell through, said even though he has not played for the country for some time now, he is a Ghanaian and prepared to don the national jersey when called upon to help provided we do away with our old ways of organisation.
On his performance in the just ended season where his team Udinese just scrapped through to avoid relegation, Gargo was not pleased with the general performance of the team and attributed it to the fact the they had many new faces in the team which affected team work. He was hopeful of better fortunes next year where by then the team would have jelled into a unit to play the type of soccer that Udinese is accustomed to.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 May 2002 - Mr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, Vice President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has said that the GFA would soon take a decision on who to vote for in the coming FIFA presidential elections.
Mr Owusu-Ansah said this when Dr Amos Adamu an Executive member of Confederation of African Football (CAF) presented a letter to the GFA on the impending elections. "By a week or two the association would take a decision on who to vote for in the elections" Mr Owusu Ansah said.
He explained that the Mr Ben Koufie chairman of the GFA is out of the country with the Black Stars and they would take the appropriate steps in choosing one candidate when he is back. He said they are taking into consideration all that Mr Hayatou has outlined and would take a decision that would benefit football.
He said the F.A. has not taken any decision because none of the representatives of both candidates have come to convince them saying "we are therefore glad that a CAF official is in to make their case. Earlier, Dr Adamu told his hosts that Africa as a whole would benefit a lot if Hayatou is elected as the FIFA president and call on the GFA to offer its support to the CAF president.
"Ghana's support would serve as a morale booster for Hayatou since she is a big soccer nation in Africa," Dr Adamu stated. He said Hayatou is capable of delivering and can bring improvement in the game if he is given the nod to lead the world's football ruling body. Mr Adamu said Hayatou as FIFA president would protect the interest of black players in Europe and around the world.
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