Selecting Black Stars Coach, cool heads must prevail

Published on: 22 September 2010

Following the inability of Serbian Milovan Rajevac to renew his coaching contract with the Black Stars, one of the most sought after job vacancies on the African continent has been left open.

No wonder, it has been reported that a total of 28 European coaches have already expressed their interest in the Black Stars coaching job.

Despite the relatively low remuneration package that comes with the job, as compared to other African countries, the Stars coaching job still remains one of the most sumptuous baits that European coaches crave for, in order to add value to their coaching pedigree.

The Chronicle cannot also discount the strong lobbying interest groups clamouring that it is about time the coaching job of the Black Stars is given to one of our own.

As a result, names like coaches Akwasi Appiah, Bashir Hayford, Herbert Addo and Sellas Tetteh among others, have come up for mention.

With the Ghana Football Association (GFA) facing a busy football calendar, it is now incumbent on it to select a coach for the Black Stars.

The GFA has already made its intentions clear that they are in no hurry to pick the Stars’ next coach, but will rather engage in a painstaking head-hunt to select one.

Much as The Chronicle would not want to stampede the GFA in the selection of a coach, we also believe that any attempt, on their part, to prolong the selection process, might allow those with hidden motives to create confusion and disunity over the Black Stars job.

The unity of purpose, which eluded the Black Stars until the era of former skipper Stephen Appiah, and saw Ghana participating in two successive world cup tournaments, seems to be in danger, as different players of the current Black Stars team have began to take entrenched positions, as to which coach they would want to be selected.

As the players vow allegiance to potential coaches who are still being considered for the job, has anyone considered the repercussions to the team if the favourites of some players are not selected, and that of others selected?

We must safeguard against the creation of factions in the Black Stars, since history has taught us why the greatest football squad ever produced by Ghana, during the Abedi Pele era, never qualified for the World Cup.

The Chronicle would want to advise the players to leave the selection of a team coach to the appropriate quarters, which is the GFA.

When a coach is selected, he would be introduced to the team at the proper time, which is how it is done in all serious football nations.

We, therefore, call on all the players of the Black Stars, who are throwing their support behind some potential coaches, to cease fire immediately, and concentrate on what they are paid to do.

The GFA must, as a matter of urgency, also expedite the selection process to avoid some of these problems that might rear their ugly heads to destabilise the team. The Chronicle calls for cool heads to reign, so that we do not destroy the one thing (Black Stars) that unites us all.

Finally, all interest groups – media, sports journalists, Ministry of Sports etc. – should stop the lobbying, and allow the GFA do what it was set up for.

Source: Ghanaian Chronicle

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