When transition beckons

Black Stars coach Goran Stevanovic seems to have won over his critics following the Star’s recent string of impressive performances after only two months at the helm.

When the former Partisan Belgrade manager was introduced to the football family in February, 2011, some journalist openly expressed misgivings about his appointment giving his history at his former post where he resigned under intense pressure from the home fans.

The statistics bare it all: two wins and a draw in three matches surely represents a dream start for any coach particularly considering the circumstances under which the Black Stars secured their dramatic 1:1 drawn game with England.

Indeed the Serbian has barely put a foot wrong in his early days in the Ghanaian hot seat but it will be wrong to draw any hasty conclusions because after all, in his own words the ultimate aim is to win the nation’s first major trophy since 1982.

But before that dream can be realised, there is a need to address some pressing issues because it appears some deep cracks have developed in the foundation of the team.

There is therefore a pressing need to revamp the Black Star team which has seen some players play together for the past ten years.

That is to say that some players in the current team are well past their prime and will not be around forever, meaning urgent steps need to be taken to immediately introduce new blood into the “starting lineup” of the team, especially during friendly matches.

But the big question “Plavi” as Stevanovic is nicknamed, has to answer is: do we wait for the “cracks to develop into Valleys” before finding solutions?

HISTORY OF TRANSITIONS
The country has witnessed many such smooth transitions over the years due to the abundance of talents and also the existence of good soccer structures which enables players to move through the development cycle.

The first of such transitions occurred in 1965 under legendary coach C.K Gyamfi who took the then unpopular decision of dropping all but four of the 1963 African Nations Cup winning squad ahead of their title defense in Tunisia.

Gyamfi and his team virtually left the country for Tunisia under the cover of darkness, after much public outcry over his decision to select “school boys” for such an important tournament.

But guess what, the then-little known Osei Kofi and company emerged victorious and secured Ghana’s second African Nations Cup trophy to the surprise of all. It is instructive to know that Kofi and co graduated from the Academicals to the New Horizon before national duty came.

Those structures were created by the late Ohene Djan, the nation’s first director of sports.

You might call C.K. Gyamfi and his assistant Ben Koufie magicians, but the duo knew exactly what they were doing, having observed that most of the 1963 players were ageing.

The national team has seen at least three smooth transitions ever since: the Golden boy Abdul Razak and the Mohammed Polo generation which covers the 70’ and 80’s, Abedi Pele and Tony Yeboah 90’s generation and the present generation of Stephen Appiah and Michael Essien.

The most difficult transition came in 80’s as football administrators were not seen to be putting in place proper structures as witnessed under the nation’s first sports director Ohene Djan. Some will also argue that the exodus of many locally based players to Nigeria and elsewhere had an effect on that generation.

Of all the generations, Stephen Appiah will easily be remembered for his inspirational role as he easily stands out as key to the success story of the current generation.

After a rather difficult period under the Abedi Pele/Tony Yeboah generation where the team lacked team spirit, Appiah was able to bring both the old and new players together under his captaincy.

Having won the Fifa Under 17 trophy in 1995 with the Black Starlets, Appiah seems to have done his homework very well, having observed the split in the national team as a young player, so that he knew exactly what to do when he assumed the reins in 2004.

In the words of one renowned former national team coach, “Stephen Appiah is a gift to the nation and everybody should hail him.”

The good thing though is that the coming generation of players who are likely to be captained by Andre Dede Ayew, the son of soccer legend Abedi Ayew Pele, have had the experience of playing under Appiah and are expected to take a lot of inspiration from him.

That unique experience was made largely possible by the immediate past coach of the Stars, Milovan Rejavac who took the bold step of selecting six players from the victorious 2009 Black Satellites Fifa world Cup winning team to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.

Post World Cup Era
In the post world cup era, many national teams have started the re-building process with much emphasis on introducing young players in their set ups. The ultimate aim is to prepare teams towards the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

I have keenly followed the exploits of Brazil and Argentina in particular who are under new coaches after getting rid of Dunga and Diego Maradona respectively after what was a disastrous world cup, by their own standards.

In an article titled “Brazil show Argentina way forward,” the BBC’s South American football correspondent Tim Vickery showed the different approach the two South American Giants are using in their quest to develop a system of play that will be suitable for their different types of play.

And more importantly how Argentina can learn a lesson or two from their rivals with regards playing a regular striker.
But of great importance is the balanced manner in which the national team coaches are simultaneously utilising their experienced and young prospects in their quest to build a winsome team.

For instance in their game with Scotland, Brazil coach Mano Menezes used Jadson and Barcelona ace Daniel Alves down the right and Andre Santos and the talented Neymar down the left flank.

Manezes also gave 21 year old striker Leandro Damiao, his debut against the Scots.
Again Argentina Coach Sergio Batista is steeply involved in gathering his team up from the ashes following their disappointing run in South Africa 2010. Batista is more concerned with finding the right balance for the attacking riches at his disposal particularly Lionel Messi.

Ever Banega has assumed a greater role in the set up as well as Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria.

Mention can also be made of the English who played without five regular players against the Black Star as Fabio Capello gave the home fans a glimpse of the future national team.

The Plain Truth
In the present case of Ghana, it is becoming increasingly clear that some senior players in the set up will not be able to withstand the test of time despite their unquestionable loyalty to the national cause.

Players including Captain John Mensah, John Paintsil and Richard Kingston are fast fading out and a close observation of their performance in the English Premier League will easily reveal that.

This is not to say that the above-named players are not giving off their best effort to the national team. On the contrary these players are some of the most patriotic sons of the land to date and it will be wrong to write them off immediately but their long term stay with the Stars is quite doubtful.

Mensah in particular has struggled with injuries for a greater part of the last two seasons. He is still regarded as one of the most powerful defenders in the air and barely disappoints on his day but he has been given a torrid time by some top strikers lately including Luis Suarez and Carlos Tevez.

His lack of pace is quite evident and you only wonder why his name sake Jonathan Mensah is not being given much look into.
John Paintsil’s problems at Fulham are well noted and the Craven Cottage outfit is not thought to be keen on extending the contract of the veteran defender following his inconsistent showing this season.

Again, Stars coach Goran Stevanovic has more than enough replacements for the position with many wondering why Samuel Inkoom is regularly seen on the bench.

The issue of finding a worthy replacement for number one goalkeeper Richard Kingston continues to dominate major discussions with no solution in sight. The Stars technical bench has not treated the issue with much urgency for years as.

It’s an issue which if not well dealt with can become the Achilles heel of the national team in the near future.

It’s a fact that Kingston has been wonderful in post for the Stars and continues to pull off fantastic saves anytime he is called upon but a succession plan must be put in place to ensure a smooth transition and it begins by allowing others the chance during friendly matches.

If Kingston is on good form, he is bound to give us good defensive cover in the posts, but what about if he loses his fitness at some point in time at Blackpool?

Conclusion
There is time for everything, as the saying goes. The current crop of senior players in the Stars camp have paid their due and it is only fair that the young players in the team assume greater roles in order to aid a smooth transition.

Suspended GOC Executive Frank Appiah Caught Defrauding Continental Body

In what seems as the mother of all ironies, an executive member of the suspended and outgoing Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) has been caught pants down trying to defraud a continental sporting body.

Mr. Frank, Appiah, tried to deceive the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) about the legitimacy of Ghana Athletics Association (GAA), while assuming powers that can legally be exercised only by GAA.

This situation would be comical were it not for the serious predicament Ghana faces over the suspension of GOC and the seriousness of the charges.

What explanation can there be when a man who has helped hold Ghana sports hostage over autonomy of governance is caught lying and assuming powers he and the defunct GOC never had? The short answer is desperation and a reflection of true motive; desire to cling to power doing whatever it takes.

According to the General Secretary of the Confederation of African Athletics, Lamine Faty, his outfit received a communication from the Vice President of the suspended GOC, Frank Appiah on 24th March, 2011.

In the letter, Mr. Appiah deceptively informs CAA that the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) is an illegitimate organization not recognised by his outfit. He then goes on to nominate a former chairman of the GAA, Mr. Sandy Osei-Agyeman, for a position on the CAA executive committee.

However, in a firm and direct manner, Mr. Appiah the architect of this coup d'état, has been giving a rude awakening by the CAA.

CAA insists that the Ghana Athletics Association is in good standing and Mr. Appiah and his outfit have no authority to decide on the legitimacy of GAA. They clarify to Mr. Appiah that the power to certify GAA lies with the global governing body for athletics; the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

The General Secretary of the CAA Lamine Faty wrote: “I would like to inform you that CAA had never been informed about this situation, let alone received any notification from its regulating body IAAF asking CAA to suspend connections with this federation”

In addition to the latter rebuke, CAA informed Mr. Appiah that the due date for nominations for election onto CAA’s executive committee elapsed on 31st January, 2011.
Of greater importance, Mr. Faty went on to inform Mr. Appiah that the power to nominate candidates for CAA executive board positions rests fully with GAA and any such nominations must be initiated by the national association.

In essence, GOC, even if it was not suspended, does not have the power to nominate anybody for a position on the African Athletics governing body; the only group that can do so is the Professor Francis Dodoo-led GAA, which is the national athletics governing body.

For its part, IAAF, the international federation of athletics, has subsequently written to GAA to say CAA did the right thing in rebuffing Mr. Appiah and GOC, and to reaffirm their support for the Dodoo-led GAA.

In his March 29th, 2011 correspondence to Professor Francis Dodoo, Mr. Pierre Weiss the Secretary-General of IAAF writes: “your NOC is currently suspended and IOC does not recognise anyone there”.

This latest blunder represents a cold calculated attempt to defraud an international sporting body for personal gain. At a time when logic and caution is in need given the suspension of GOC, Mr. Appiah and Mr. Baba have embarked on an all-out war using any means necessary to cling on to power.

Today, Ghana’s self-proclaimed pseudo champions of democratic dispensation and autonomy of national sporting associations are thumbing their noses at IOC and other international bodies’ over governance issues; this is unprecedented.

After being disowned by IOC and declared non-existent by international federations, the ghost of GOC wants to function unabated. It now seeks to illegally surpass the powers of compliant (international standards) and well-respected national associations.

A couple of weeks ago, it was brought to light that GOC (which is today, just Mr. Appiah and Mr. Baba) have filed a writ of summons against Parliament, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Attorney General’s Office. In their view, the legitimate and much needed amendment to the offending part of the current sports law amounts to an illegal action.

On what grounds is a defunct organization not recognised by the IOC, by international federations (global and continental), by national federations or by the government of Ghana file such a complaint? Only in Ghana!!!

Sorry to say that the latest blunder by Frank Appiah and co. is a continuation of the trend of arrogance and disdain for national and international processes meant to harmonize sports administration in Ghana.

THE OTHER CO-CONSPIRATOR: SANDY OSEI AGYEMAN

It’s noteworthy that the man who Mr. Appiah tried to nominate for the continental athletics position, Sandy Osei Agyeman, is already a member of the same body, the Council of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), having been elected three years ago. Mind you, Mr. Osei-Agyemang got onto CAA by virtue of his appointment as chairman of GAA.

Mr. Osei-Agyeman is seeking re-election to his post but interestingly he chose to not communicate his intentions to GAA, the only institution with the power to nominate him.

Instead, it seems he chose to conspire with Mr. Appiah to not only circumvent GAA, but also in the process try to designate GAA as illegitimate so as to justify circumventing them. Keep in mind that as the immediate past boss of GAA and a member of CAA, Mr. Osei-Agyemang is fully aware of the procedural issues concerning nominations.

Indeed, a source close to Mr. Sandy Osei Agyeman, revealed to this reporter that there was a discussion between Mr. Osei-Agyeman and the GOC Vice President Frank Appiah on the issue before the nomination was sent to CAA.

The source further revealed that Mr. Osei-Agyeman would still actively seek to contest for a slot on the Council despite the embarrassing revelations.

With the nominations deadline passed, however, it is not clear how this will be affected, given that Frank Appiah’s plot failed to trick the continental body.

Calls to Frank Appiah for his side of the story were not returned as his phone was off and it is claimed that he has travelled outside the country. His request to CAA was sent on March 24th 2011.

Is B.T. BABA getting desperate?

It makes absolutely no sense that a group that benefited from 3 decades of appointments onto national federations (until 2009) is trying to frantically present itself as a champion of democracy.

Why did they not work to ensure that associations were democratically elected during the three “legitimate” terms of Mr. Baba’s reign as GOC president?

Ironically, now that associations have been democratically elected, they are investing so much energy into trying to discredit those associations, and to ensure that the necessary legislation that will get Ghana back into the Olympic family does not come into being.

They are investing so much time in shady and clearly illegal misrepresentations. In the Delhi Commonwealth Games last October, the old GOC accredited Mr. Frank Appiah as Secretary-General of the GOC, a position that is actually held by Mr. Albert Tettey, who has probably parted ways with Baba and Appiah because he is reluctant to let his esteemed reputation be soiled by participating in the ongoing shenanigans of his former GOC colleagues.

Then, a few weeks ago in his letter to Parliament, Mr. B.T. Baba assumed that Parliamentarians may not have seen the IOC Road Map and so he tried to con the distinguished members of that august house into believing that the IOC Road Map had indicated that his GOC should oversee the elections of the various national associations; the truth is that the Road Map clearly left that oversight in the hands of the respective international federations.

Certainly, we understand that Baba and Appiah prefer to go to GOC Congress with the old associations because that is the only way they stand the chance of getting re-elected; despite becoming GOC boss after the 1996 Olympics he still does not think he has had a long enough reign. He must understand that all of us have to live with the results, once the international federations ratify our associations.

The reason he does not want the new law coming into existence is that it acknowledges the authority of the international federations and the Ghanaian sports associations they have already ratified. Baba would like there to be new association elections once there is a new law, which is ironic for a man who refused to move Ghana to an elective dispensation when he was GOC boss.

That is his problem with the revision of the law. Unfortunately, any new law that does not accept the legitimacy of the new associations will again run Ghana afoul of the IOC simply because the international federations have already ratified our existing associations, and any attempt to change them will constitute, yes, that word again, “interference”. B.T. Baba and his cronies need to understand that the game is over.

Instead of trying to hold Ghana sports hostage to effect what cannot be legitimately effected, B.T. Baba and Appiah, too, have to live with that!

I believe it is about time someone reigned in the activities of Mr. Frank Appiah and Mr. B.T. Baba since it is increasingly becoming clear that they are desperate to cling onto power by any means necessary be it legal or illegal.

If this is not done they stand to run Ghana into a more permanent suspension from the IOC and even the other international federations.

http://www.aroundtherings.com/articles/view.aspx?id=36748

http://news.peacefmonline.com/features/201104/150487.php

http://www.ghanamma.com/2011/04/04/suspended-goc-executive-frank-appiah-caught-defrauding-continental-body/

http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2011/04/04/suspended-ghana-olympic-committee-executive-frank-appiah-caught-lying/