It is distasteful how this generation never appreciates but sees the work of any other as failure.
Coach Francis Oti Akenten’s reign at the Ghana Football Association as the Technical Director (TD) ended in March after his appointment in 2006.
Before taking up the position, Akenten was one of the top notch coaches in our land.
His masters degree background and having been a former lecturer, was why the GFA lured him to take up the position that, the powers thought he was the best person available then.
Having a permanent TD is a challenge since, clubs come in with money to get the TD back on the field.
Akenten had several of these temptations but he ignored and stayed at post. It is why I call his job ‘sacrificial’.
The association TD role is a specialised area that requires time and enough reading and correspondence. It is about research methods and academia.
A technical department of an association is a whole department comprising of many brilliant personnel and a secretary. Akenten worked alone for over a decade.
As human as Oti Akenten is, he had his own challenges. Admittedly, he was seen as soft in his stand due to his very nature and character. His posture was more humane and that looked atrocious to connoisseurs.
On the positives, Ghanaian coaches at present, were trained under Akenten tutelage. Notables, like Didi Dramani and co are his products. His success with the Black Damsels in Switzerland has been the springboard for Ghana’s women’s football in this millennium.
Yes, he has been accused of many wrongs as well as the local national team coaches’ unsuccessful performance but we cannot place it all at his doorstep since, the system allowed the coaches to make their own decisions without recourse to the TD office
If he was a complete failure and hollow at his office as many seem to portray in the media, nothing stopped the able GFA from sacking Akenten all this while.
His retirement time was up several months ago, and he surely had to leave at a point.
Presently, the creme de la creme GFA President, Kurt Okraku wants to move in a new direction however, the names that pops up in the media and the public makes one ask, whether people really know the painstaking sacrifice and the academic demands of the TD job?
It is becoming disheartening, when one see names coming up from all quarters as if the FIFA/CAF modern TD role is for mediocrity.
To wit, a silent applause than the tantrums being thrown at Francis Oti Akenten by a cross – section of the public is unfair and must be chided.
Indeed, Francis Oti Akenten deserves compliment for serving Ghana!!
By Isaac 'Opeele' Boateng