New GFA members to be sworn-in on August 2
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 July 2001
By Daniel Kenu
Ghana and Nigeria will be meeting for the 47th time in competitive soccer, but perhaps, Saturday's final World Cup qualifier, may be the most important of all.
The Super Eagles are seeking their third consecutive World Cup appearance, but that can only be possible if they manage to scale over the predominantly home-based Black Stars, who even though may be out, would be fighting for pride.
Ghana has won 20 of the 46 encounters as against 11 by Nigeria while 17 of the battles have been draw.
Ghana-Nigeria matches, no matter the occasion, have always been fierce, and this coming encounter may not be different, and even if it will be, it would only be fiercer than the others.
Caretaker coach Fred Osam Duodo could be facing his biggest challenge yet, since taking over from fellow local coach, Jones Attuquayefio a couple of months go. But the coach told the GNA in an interview earlier this week that if what the team went through in war ravaged Liberia was anything to go by, nothing could intimidate his young players.
But the Nigerians may be resorting to all means on and off the pitch to secure a place in next year's World Cup finals.
Aware of this, officials of the Black Stars will be going in a chartered flight from Accra and sources said they would go with their own food and water to avoid any hospitality problems.
Osam Doduo is expected featured all his four foreign-based players - skipper Emmanuel Duah, Stephen Appiah, Mohammed Gargo, and Charles Amoah.
The Black Stars would play without any of the names the Nigerians dread most - Abedi Ayew Pele, Toney Yeboah and goalkeeper Edward Ansah but it is even more dangerous playing against an unknown side.
The last time the Stars featured a predominantly local side was in March this year in their first leg encounter of Japan/Korea World Cup qualifier.
It was one match the Stars could have won with ease, as they overwhelmed their classy Nigerains stars including Nwonko Kanu, Finidi George and skipper Sunday Oliseh, but failed to translate their excellent performance into goals. The Super Eagles are likely to present almost the same side that battled the Stars at the Accra Sports Stadium two months ago for a place in the Japan/Korea mundial next year.
Liberia top the group with 15 points, Nigeria on 13, Ghana on 11, Sudan on nine while Sierra Leone on four. Only one team qualifiers from the group.
South Africa, Cameroon, Morocco and neophytes Senegal have all booked their tickets for the final, but Africa would have to wait after Saturday's game to determine who joins the other four. Is it going to be Liberia or Nigeria?
Your guess is as good as mine.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 27 July 2001
Caretaker coach of the Black Stars, Fred Osam Duodo said in Accra on Monday that he does not envisage any mayhem in the Ghana-Nigeria final World Cup qualifier in Port Harcourt on Saturday, adding that the two governments are in close touch to ensure a trouble-free match.
He told GNA sports that "every arrangement is being put in place to ensure that the match is devoid of any intimidation in accordance with FIFA's fair play rule".
A win for the Super Eagles on Saturday, would ensure their fourth consecutive World Cup appearance while even a draw will give war-ravaged Liberia an edge over them.
Liberia tops the five-country table with 15 points followed by Nigeria on 13 points, Ghana 11 and Sudan nine, while Sierra Leone are stuck at the bottom on four.
Coach Osam Duodo said, "we will approach the game like any other match and the better team on the day will win".
Asked whether his young predominantly home-based players were not going to be scared by the apparent hostile Nigerian fans, he said, "If the boys were able to overcome a frightening atmosphere in Liberia, I doubt which other fans could intimidate my boys".
He said, he is very optimistic of another victory on Saturday, adding "perhaps I may even cause another radio commentator to weep".
A national radio commentator wept bitterly in Harare, Zimbabwe about a month ago when the Stars beat the Warriors 2-1 to book a place in Mali 2002.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 27 July 2001
Mr Joe Aggrey, the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports has said that participation in international competitions would be limited to only athletes whose games have a strong foundation at home.
Speaking at the opening of the Kalaban Thome Memorial Basketball Tournament on Monday, Mr Aggrey said the government would prefer investing "the little that is available in developing the necessary infrastructure and the games at the grass roots" to paying per diem to athletes to go on holidays and sight seeing.
"The days of per diem seeking trips outside the country are gone. Let's invest the little that is available in developing the necessary infrastructure," he said.
The Deputy Minister said the development and promotion of sports have become too expensive for government alone to shoulder and called for the involvement of private organisations to give the "lesser sports" a leeway.
He said the ministry would encourage societies and organisations that wish to assist in the promotion and development of sports particularly, the "so called lesser sports such as volleyball, basketball, badminton and baseball" in order to pull them out of the doldrums.
Mr Aggrey said there are immense benefits derivable from investment in sports and called or corporate organisations and individuals to take advantage of such opportunities.
The Deputy Minister said the country stands to gain from a good sports policy because it would produce a healthy citizenry that would bring fame and honour to the nation and above all, accelerate national cohesion and unity.
He pledged the government's determination to provide "the appropriate infrastructure for the development and promotion of sports" and appealed to "stakeholders and other sponsors of the games to pull their resources together to put up modern multi-purpose basketball, volleyball and handball courts" of international standard.
The Deputy Minister commended the Lebanon Society for "its long link with sports development and promotion in the country" and expressed his happiness at their resumption of volleyball sponsorship after a three-year break.
GRi…/
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Berlin (Germany) 27 July 2001
Bayern Munich defender Samuel Osei Kuffour extended his contract at the European champions for three years on Thursday.
Barcelona, Roma and Lazio were all reported to be chasing the 24-year-old Ghanaian. Fellow Bayern defender Patrick Andersson recently moved to Barcelona.
"Kuffour realised that in other countries you sometimes have to wait six months to get paid. We can guarantee him his wages every month," Bayern's commercial manager Uli Hoeness told the SID sport news agency.
GRi…/
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Dortmund (Germany) 27 July 2001
Borussia Dortmund will be without striker Otto Addo for six months after he had to undergo an operation on torn knee ligaments, club officials said Monday.
Addo, 26, underwent surgery on his right knee on Sunday in Vail, Colorado, and will not be able to play until next year. The Bundesliga season kicks off on the weekend.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 27 July 2001
Mr Kwame Adomah, Acting National Co-ordinator of the National Youth Council (NYC) has called on the youth to abstain from indiscriminate sex to avoid contracting HIV/AIDS so they can live longer.
Mr Adomah made the call at the opening of a three-day workshop on future soccer stars in Accra on Monday.
About 50 colts players drawn from clubs in the Greater Accra Region are attending the workshop. It is being organised by Talent and Manpower Development Agency and Transit Sports (TAMDA) in collaboration with the National Youth Council.
Former soccer stars, Mohammed Polo, Rev. Osei Kofi, Alhaji Dodoo Ankrah and Mr Alex Bamfo of the Ghana Social Marketing Foundation are the Resource persons.
The workshop, with the theme "harnessing talent for tomorrow's use", is aimed at improving soccer skills and game management, unearthing talents and to encourage them to take up the sport, as a profession worth undertaking.
Mr Adomah said the nation's future rests with the youth and most importantly how they are nurtured to live meaningful lives.
"That is why we of the NYC decided to assist the TAMDA to run this workshop for our young footballers to enable them to achieve excellence in their chosen field", he stressed.
Nana Ntiri Dankyi, Executive Member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) who chaired the function, said Ghana's inability to qualify for the World Cup is due to bad planning.
He expressed the hope that with the idea of "catching them young" Ghana will regain her lost glory in football.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 27 July 2001
The new Ghana Football Association (GFA) management board headed by ex-national team coach Ben Koufie and members of other sub-committees under the GFA will be sworn into office on August 2.
Mr Koufie told the GNA in Accra on Thursday that he would after the inauguration, organise a Strategic Planning Workshop involving all stakeholders on plans of developing football at the grassroots.
He said he is putting together a paper for brainstorming, which would become a blueprint for the development of soccer in Ghana.
On the 2000 under-17 team which was discarded after their inability to qualify for the World U-17 championship to be staged in the Caribbean this year, the GFA boss said, they would be taken care of under the grassroots development programme which will be classified under u-10, u-12, u-15, u-17 and u-20.
He said the Starlets failure to qualify for the World FIFA/Coca Cola Championship is very normal adding, "you don't expect instant results when you are doing the right thing".
The Starlets could not qualify because it was the first time the nation was relying on the academicals for that championship.
"This is what is expected the world over, when you start doing the right thing, and I think we need to start from the scratch".
He said a country like France would continue to dominate the world for times to come because they started this youth development programme 30 years ago and "it's not surprising that they are reaping from a well structured mechanism".
Mr Koufie said it is unfortunate that many African countries including Ghana are not prepared to invest in the future, and this has been the bane for their poor output.
He said part of the reason for the success of the North African countries is that they attach much importance to youth policy adding that, "we need to start from somewhere".
The 69 year-old GFA chairman said he plans to start with a Junior Coaching Scheme to involve teachers and retired footballers to unearth talents who would compete at area level through to the district and to the regional levels.
GRi…/
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