Thursday,
September 11, 2014
My good friends,
I am saddened by the news report carried by Myjoyonline that the Black Stars
coach, Kwasi Appiah, has been removed and replaced with Serbian trainer Milovan
Rajevac as head coach of the Black Stars.
Here is the news
report in part: "Black Stars coach Kwasi Appiah has been relieved of his
position as head coach of the senior national team. The decision was reached
today at a board meeting of the GFA. Mr. Appiah is being accused of bad faith
after he granted a radio interview in which he said that he had not asked for a
technical assistant, contradicting the position of the GFA.
Sources close to
FA say the condition under which coach Milovan accepted to Ghana's was that he
is made the substantive coach. He refused to be technical assistant to Kwasi
Appiah, the source said. The GFA has scheduled a meeting with Coach Appiah
tomorrow Friday, at which the FA will discuss his severance package with him.” (Read
the rest here: http://www.myjoyonline.com/sports/2014/September-11th/black-stars-coach-kwasi-appiah-sacked.php).
MY COMMENTS
The conspiracy
against Kwasi Appiah has taken long to hatch and effect. When he took over the
coaching of the national team, we were happy that, at least, a locally brewed
coach would for once be in charge of affairs to build a formidable team for
Ghana's good. He might have a lot to face, but he did his best, ensuring that
the team qualified for the World Cup tournament.
The team's
routing of Egypt on the way to qualifying for the Brazil tournament is a record
to be credited to him and the players who "killed" themselves for
Ghana's good. Apparently, Ghana's chances of qualifying had been slim until
then. Tons of praise went to him and the players, which explained why he led
the team to Brazil in high hopes of either exceeding the team's record at the
2010 tournament (reaching the quarter final stage) or, at least, saving face.
We all know what
went wrong for the team to perform poorly and be kicked out, not to mention the
scandalous conduct of some players and team officials. The Presidential
Commission now investigating the team's participation in the event is already
unearthing bizarre issues that in the long run can be traced to the former
Minister of Youth and Sports (Elvis Afriyie Ankrah) and the gang that worked
with him to fleece the country. A stiff punishment awaits them, that is, if
propriety and conscience should guide the Commission's work and the final
authority to implement the Commission's report.
In all that has
happened so far, Coach Kwasi Appiah has remained disciplined and conscientious.
He may have his problems as far as coaching the team is concerned, but I don't
think that he has failed to do what he is in office for; and dismissing him
from office is the least option available to the government or the Ghana
Football Association.
The reason given
for the decision is as lame and untenable as portrays the negative minds of
those who took and effected it. How can they talk about breach of trust when
they themselves are not trustworthy? The team's current performance at the
qualifying stages of AFCON 2015 is nothing to lose sleep over. After all,
soccer is a game of chance and winning all matches can't be determined in
advance nor can a coach be held solely liable for the team's poor showing
unless specific inadequacies can be established and traced to him as the cause
of doom.
In another
sense, why should the GFA Board renew Coach Appiah’s contract barely three months
ago, raise his emoluments, only to turn round to get rid of him now? Something
fishy stinks here!!
Some may claim that he doesn’t
have what it takes to coach a national team like the Black Stars. Or that he
lacks the expertise, the confidence and completely not sure of himself. He is
not assertive, they add, and think that he also lacks the courage to manage the
egos of the current crop of players we have. Finally, the claim is that his
contract shouldn't have been renewed in the first place.
I disagree strongly. Is it now
that those inadequacies are known? And what is professional development meant
for? Couldn’t he have been supported to hone his skills instead of being given
this raw deal? Ghanaians are the cause of their own sorry plight, I daresay.
Anybody who celebrates the removal of Kwasi Appiah must be walking with his
head down.
I strongly
condemn this decision to axe Coach Kwasi Appiah in favour of someone who is
known for whatever he is. I am not proud of this Serbian "mercenary"
soccer coach. I hope when he settles down to crack the whip, no one will turn
round to accuse him of racism!!
This Serbian
trainer Milovan Rajevac is not new to us, having already dealt with the
national team and left in despicable circumstances created largely by him. Why
bring him back? I suspect strongly that those behind the decision to bring him
back have a huge stake in the benefits to be paid him and won't relent unless
tackled. I know the Ghanaian and kickbacks. There is something seriously wrong
that the government must not condone.
I ask that Coach
Kwasi Appiah be restored and his dignity ensured. Why can't we ever be proud of
our own local experts and encourage them to do better instead of pushing them
into the dustbin? I don't think that going for a foreign coach will solve
whatever the problem facing the national team is. Why are Ghanaians in positions
of trust so narrow-minded and inimical to their own? Kwasi Appiah deserves
better!!
I shall return…
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