GFA Too Obsessed With Serbian Coaches – Prof Akosa

Prof. Agyemang Badu Akosa, a former Director General of the Ghana Health Service, has described Ghanaians as being “too obsessed with Serbian coaches.”

According to him, Serbian coaches over the years have not been able to lead any country to win the World Cup, adding that there was no need to hire them.

His comment follows news that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has rehired Milovan Rajevac as Coach for the Black Stars.

This is the fourth time Ghana is hiring a Serbian coach to lead
the Black Stars.

2011–2012 Goran Stevanovic (Serbia)

2008–2010 Milovan Rajevac (Serbia)

2004–2006 Ratomir Dujkovi (Serbia)

Kwesi Appiah was given the nod to coach the Black Stars in April 2012.

He qualified Ghana for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, making him the first black African coach to take the country to the World Cup.

Appiah was given a new two-year deal with the team in May 2014 and has since led the stars after embarrassingly exiting from the World Cup at the group stages.

The GFA President, Kwesi Nyantakyi, subsequently defended Kwesi Appiah after various calls were made to sacked him. He was quoted as saying that “sacking people is not an automatic solution to the problem. It’s not yet time for a change of leadership.”

But following the latest development, Prof. Akosa speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show chastised the GFA for that decision on Friday.

“The first question I want to ask the FA is that, is there any country that the Serbians have coached them and have won the world cup? I don’t know why we are so obsessed with Serbians. I do not think any of them have done any marvelous thing that we should be too obsessed with.”

He argued that if there is a deliberate effort to develop Ghanaian coaches to meet world standards the country will not ‘comb’ the globe looking for a coach, “We are here and we are not developing our coaches at all. Somehow we expect a Ghanaian coach to drop from heaven with everything to take Ghana to win the world cup.”

Prof. Akosa charged the government to invest in local coaches.

He said: “I think it’s about time we begin to invest and train our coaches. Kwesi Appiah was appointed and paid what? A pittance compared to what his former boss was receiving and somehow we expect him to conjure magic from anywhere. I remember saying this and somehow I did not even get an answer. Why, if we have a salary for a coach for the Black stars, why was Kwesi Appiah downgraded in terms of remunerations and yet we expected him to perform wonders. We must have a training programme that trains Ghanaian coaches because I still believe that it is only a Ghanaian coach that could take the Black Stars to the haven that we all expect the them to.”

CHANGE OF PLANS

Citi Sports had reported on Tuesday that if Appiah lost against Togo, Rajevac could be named coach before the week ends.

But the GFA are said to have moved up the decision even after Appiah commandeered a resilient 3-2 win against Togo on Wednesday.

The FA are aware of Milovan’s popularity despite the abrupt way he left Ghana following his historic leadership of the team to the last eight of the 2010 World Cup.

He also led Ghana to a final place in the 2010 African Cup and, a year before, another final place finish of the nation’s CHAN team.
Rajevac has since insisted that he only left the job because a deal to renew a contract was not handled by the FA well.

WRITING ON THE WALL

The GFA, in August, set up a three-man committee to appoint a technical adviser for the Black Stars.

Citi Sports had earlier revealed that the Serbian, who was one of three names being considered, was favourite to land the job.

He told GNA Sports in an interview that : “I cannot wait to join the family again. I am very excited to be back here; my second home. It is always relaxing and I love it here.”

Kwesi Appiah who has previously stated that he has not considered resigning from his position.

Source: Citifmonline.com/Ghana