Raleigh International launches projects in Ghana
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 June 2000
Italian Giuseppe Dossena, head
coach of the senior national team, the Black Stars, is on his way out of the
job, according to the Graphic Sports report, a national sports bi-weekly.
Dossena is said to be losing his
job because the government can no longer keep to an expatriate coach with its
huge financial responsibilities.
Coach Dossena earns $12,000
monthly salary from a two-year contract signed with the Ministry of Youth and
Sports after the Burkina ’98 Nations Cup fiasco.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports
is alleged, according to the paper, to be in the process of submitting a
memorandum to Cabinet indicating that it could no longer support the salary of
the Italian.
“Consequently, the country may
perform a ‘sankofa’ by falling on an indigenous coach for the rest of the World
Cup qualifiers,” the paper said. The paper rumours that this could be ‘Sir’
Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, the man who has successfully steered Hearts to a
15-match unbeaten run in the domestic league and also guided them into the
money-spinning zone CAF Champions League.
Attuquayefio, a formal
international star, was recently replaced as head coach of the national
under-20 side, the Black Meteors, following Hearts’ objection that it will
overburden him and may scupper their quest for continental honours this year.
Dossena still on his job for now,
is preparing the Stars for a World Cup qualifying showdown with Sierra Leone in
what may be the team’s last competitive game under his guidance, unless Cabinet
offers him a lifeline.
Graphic Sports story however
states that it has learnt that some members of the FA are not too happy with
the development, especially when foreign-based players are said to have
cautioned the authorities with regard to Dossena.
Sports Minister, Mr. E.T. Mensah
is on record to have openly criticised Dossena’s handling of the national teams
following poor results by Stars in CAN 2000, and the Meteors’ failure to
qualify for the Sydney Olympics.
The thorny issue of the future of
the Italian with Ghana football at the end of next month has dominated the
airwaves and the front-pages this week after a BBC programme monitored in Accra
last Monday, suggested some European clubs were awaiting his contract outcome
for a possible engagement.
GRi.../
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 June 2000
Mr. Joseph Ade Coker, Chairman of
Great Olympics, is optimistic that the gods of Accra will smile on his club in
their clash with city rivals, Hearts of Oak in next Wednesday's ECOWAS soccer
challenge Cup at the Accra Sports Stadium.
"I hope things will be
different on Wednesday", said Ade Coker, apparently hoping to reverse the
0-3 loss to Hearts in their last match of the first round in the ABC Premier
League at the same venue two-and-half weeks ago.
He expressed the optimism during
the presentation of the giant trophy, to be competed for by the two teams, by
Mr. George Cann, Chief Director of the Ministry of Planning, Regional Economic
Co-operation and Integration, to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Enoch
Teye Mensah in Accra on Friday.
The match forms part of activities
marking the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Economic Community of West
Africa States (ECOWAS), which fell on May 28, this year.
The gold trophy, donated by the
ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja, Nigeria, would be won for keeps by either of the
teams in addition to cash prize of 10 million cedis.
Additionally, both teams will take
home five million cedis each as an appearance fee and 25 per cent of the net
gate proceeds.
Ade Coker said he was happy that
Oly was part of the ECOWAS celebrations.
On his part, Mr. Harry Zakkour,
Chairman of Hearts of Oak, said there was no way Oly could stop Hearts and expressed
conviction that Hearts will carry the day.
Mr. Mensah later presented the
trophy to Col. George Brock, acting Chief Executive of the National Sports
Council, who also presented it to the Ghana Football Association.
Some sponsors of the match include
Voltic mineral water, Kingdom Transport, Latex foam and Accra Brewery. An
ECOWAS flag will be hoisted on the day.
GRi.../
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 June 2000
Raleigh International, A British-based
youth development for charity conservation and the community, in collaboration
with the Ministry of Youth and Sports will launch the third expedition of the
''Ghana OOF Projects'' at the Accra Sports Stadium on Wednesday, June 28.
A statement issued by the Ministry
and signed by Mr. Kofi Aggrey, said the aim of the project is to develop the
youth world wide through demanding and worthwhile community and environmental
projects undertaken during expeditions.
The statement further said the
Ministry would introduce the programme and projects of the third expedition
(spanning three months from June 26th to September 13th) to the general public
and projects sponsors.
It said the third expedition in
the country will see the largest Ghanaian contingent among the group which will
have the co-operation of organisations such as Action Aid, World Vision
International and New Energy with whom Raleigh had worked on the two previous
expeditions to achieve a number of projects.
Among the number of project
partners and sponsors are Barclays Bank, ADRA, Sight Savers International and
British High Commissioner.
GRi.../