All the doubts previously
hindering the work of Mr Jones Attuquayefio as Head Coach of the senior
national team, the Black Stars, on Thursday gave way to hope and one of the
best packages ever proposed to a Ghanaian coach.
A story carried by nation’s sports
bi-weekly, ‘The Graphic Sports’, said the board of the Ghana Football
Association (GFA) was close to an agreement that would contract Jones to the
Black Stars for a four-year period, with qualification for the Nations Cup
finals in Mali and the World Cup final in Japan/Korea (both in ear 2002) as his
most immediate task.
The proposals on the table include
providing a separate office with modern communications facilities to enable the
coach maintain direct contacts with the European- based bulk of the team.
With the approval of the Ministry
of Youth and Sports, Jones could be guaranteed a monthly salary of about 5,000
dollars after the payment to him of an enticement fee of 30,000 dollars.
Though on the very low side of
what a foreign coach of similar achievement would settle for, the package is
about the best offered to any Ghanaian coach of the Black Stars.
Italian coach Giuseppe Dossena,
who Mr Attuquayefio replaces, was reportedly paid a monthly salary of 12,000
dollars in addition to other allowances and bonuses and German Rainer Bonhof,
short-listed for the job last November demanded an enticement fee of 50,000
dollars and a 15,000 dollar monthly salary.
The financial details have not
provided the coach and his players with as much headache as the official
mandate to take up the job early enough for the serious work on hand.
In less than 10 days, the Black
Stars will be embroiled in a Cup of Nations struggle against the Democratic
Republic of Congo in Kinshasa and it was the expectation of many that a letter
of appointment would have been tendered much earlier for the coach to get down
to work.
That would have ensured that the
man, new as he is on the job, take advantage of the presence of many of his
foreign-based players, then on holidays in Ghana, to begin early camping and
preparation.
But with high optimism that
goodwill would prevail and that the national interest would override all other
considerations, Jones got down to work on Wednesday. He did so at a time a big
chunk of the foreign-based players had already left and more were on their way.
The stalemate brought the coach
under intense pressure to decide not to start at all, or start at an impossible
time and court nothing but shame.
GRi…/
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Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, the new
trainer of the Black Stars had his maiden work out with the team at the Accra
Sports Stadium on Wednesday.
Few fans who turned up to watch
the training session were however disappointed as only seven of the 31 players
invited were present.
The training, which lasted for
about two hours, involved general exercises, accurate passing, dribbling and
shooting.
Speaking to GNA Sports after the
work out, Jones said he was confident of having many more players for training
on Thursday.
He said most of the boys who met
with him and the Ghana Football Association (GFA), welcomed him as their coach.
Meanwhile, Mr Kudjo Fianoo the
Welfare Officer and the Communications Department of the GFA are working hard
to link Jones up with the European clubs of the Black Stars to facilitate the
availability of the players for the African Nations Cup qualifier against Congo
DR on January 13.
Most of the players, according to
him, are in town on holidays but were expected to return to their clubs before
match day.
He said it has therefore become
imperative to liase with their clubs and persuade the managers to allow them to
stay for national duty.
He explained that most of the
foreign-based players did not turn up for training on Wednesday because they
had obtained permission to attend to some personal issues.
The Welfare Officer intimated that
deputy skipper, Osei Kuffour who had obtained permission to travel to Kumasi
arrived late and was excused to skip training while Stephen Baidoo was being
expected from Takoradi.
Players in attendance were St.
Gallen of Switzerland striker, Charles Amoah, Constant Mantey of Obuasi
Goldfields and Jacob Nettey, Stephen Tetteh, Ishmael Addo and Amankwa Mireku of
Accra Hearts of Oak.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 05 January 2001
Charles Amoah, Black Stars' prolific hit man has predicted an overwhelming away victory for the team when they duel, the Congo DR national team in an African Nations Cup qualifier in Kinshasa on January 13.
Speaking to the GNA Sports on Thursday, the Switzerland based striker said he is in a fantastic shape, which would manifest in the contests against Congo Dr and Liberia.
"I won the goal king race in Switzerland last year with 25 goals and this season I have scored 12 goals in 16 matches before the winter break.
"I am in great shape and determined to bring my current form to the national team and with the complement of other players, the Black Stars will begin the year with decisive victories over Congo DR and then Liberia to consolidate our leadership in the World Cup elimination".
Charles intimated that he would return to his Swiss base on Friday January five to sort things out with his club, St. Gallen officials before returning to Ghana on Monday January eight to re-join the team.
He said he monitors other players in Europe and he is happy that most of them exhibited spectacular forms, during the half season.
The striker said it is a privilege to play for one's country and called on his absentee colleagues to endeavour to come and contribute their quota on the double-headed assault on Africa and the world.
He said the Black Stars are a still a "potent force in African football and with God on our side we shall make this year a memorable one for all Ghanaians".
GRi…/
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