Accra
(Greater Accra) 19 February 2002 - Abedi Ayew Pele, Management Board member of
the Ghana Football Association, has denied any links of the FA to US apparel
company, Nike.
An item on the Internet has linked Abedi Pele
to a possible deal with Nike to take over from Adidas in sponsoring the
national soccer team, the Black Stars. “I don’t know where they got that from,”
said Pele, not amused. “I don’t know who brought that thing up.” “I’ve never
spoken to anybody about Nike and I don’t know how they got it. You know, its
news to me,” Pele said.
The GFA chairman, Mr Ben Koufie, expressed
worry about some speculation hinting that the FA may have struck a fishy deal
with Adidas. “That agreement will expire on February 28, after which we will
sit down, make our appraisals and enter into a contractual agreement with
Adidas to produce the specimen colours we have given to them.
“That would be a bigger agreement to cover a
bigger area for the next four years,” said the chairman. “So, you see, there’s
nothing fishy about the Adidas deal.” Mr Koufie explained that Ghana has a
memorandum of understanding with Adidas, effective December 5, 2001. That
agreement, said Mr Koufie, covered Ghana’s participation in the just-ended
African Nation’s Championship hosted by Mali.
Ghana suffered a 1-0 knockout by Nigeria at the
quarterfinal stage of the chairmanship. Nigeria advanced past hosts, Mali, to
win the bronze medal, while Cameron retained the title when they beat surprise
finalists, Senegal, in the penalty shootout after 120 minutes of play produced
no winner.
All three medallists at the continental
championship have qualified for the World Cup soccer championship to be jointly
hosted by South Korea and Japan in June. The other African candidates to the
World Cup, Tunisia and South Africa, suffered early exits from the just ended
African championship.
GRi…/
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The Confederations of African Football (CAF)
reigning African best technical brain and Accra Hearts of Oak’s millennium
coach, Sir Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, left Accra last Sunday night to London.
The African Champions League winning coach will
later move on to Washington to spend the rest of his one month leave. While in
the United States, Attuquayefio hopes to use the opportunity to sharpen his
coaching tool by being attached to some clubs.
Jones, who had his last training with his boys
last Thursday afternoon, is said to have duly informed both the management and
Board of Directors of the club about his one month recess. His contract with
the club having expired at the end of January, Jones also indicated his
intention to continue with the club as technical head.
GRi…/
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