7 March 2011
Herbert Addo has finally put the nail on the coffin of local coaches taking charge of Ghana’s senior national team after leading the country to a disgraceful outing at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) which ended in Sudan last week.
The local Black Stars, who reached the final of the last tournament in Ivory Coast two years ago, scandalously finished bottom of a group comprised of a South Africa experimental team, Zimbabwe and Niger – both of which are not considered strong football countries.
Just three months ago, the clamour for a local coach hit fever pitch as the Ghana FA started the search for a coach to replace Milovan Rajevac, the Serbian who led the Black Stars to reach the quarter final of the World Cup last year.
Many were those who advocated for a local coach claiming “it is time for a Ghanaian to manage his own affairs”.
Herbert Addo deluded himself thinking that he is up to the task and threw his hat into the ring after hearing noises from people like Nii Lante Vanderpuye, the presidential staffer and ex-sports journalist.
From what we know from the ‘Catastrophe of Sudan’, the GFA was utterly right to have given the Black Stars job to another Goran Stevanovic to replace his compatriot Rajevac.
Now Addo has one and a half feet in the Black Stars coaching grave and he’s dug much of it himself.
Yes, Addo has seriously damaged his credibility by the performance of the local Black Stars in Sudan.
But the damage for local coaches had been done long before Addo took charge of the squad because the same argument can be levelled at some of the old generation of Ghanaian coaches who had the chance of coaching the Black Stars.
An attitude bordering on greed has played a huge part in the come-uppance for local coaches.
When given the chance, local coaches should have trod more carefully by relinquishing their posts at their clubs to fully concentrate on coaching the national team.
Yet again, like Addo, they want to have their cake and eat it. He concentrated on his job at Aduana too and even left the local Black Stars camp to coach the Ghanaian title holders in the Champions League. It was the first ingredient in the meal of the Sudan disaster.
The accusation of favouritism and bribery in the selection of players for tournaments and matches is another scourge of Ghanaian coaches. Local coaches are said to be in the good books of moneymen in the game.
Portugal-based midfielder Ishmael Yartey threw this dirty towel at Sellas Tetteh about two years ago over selection into Ghana’s U20 team. Now this charge has been forcefully put forward by Berekum Arsenal owner Yakubu Moro who claims Addo may have been influenced indirectly. While Welbeck Abra Appiah, the chairman of the Ghana Premier League board, makes a similar charge.
Their arguments make sense. Why did Addo select seven strikers in a squad of just 23? Bizarre! Appiah asks why Heart of Lions – the club with the best defence record in league – had no player in the local Black Stars let alone its defence. And why was goalkeeper Stephen Adams chosen ahead of Sammy Adjei in the opening game? Is it because he coaches Adams at Aduana? By the time criticism forced him to play Adjei, the team’s confidence was at its lowest ebb.
Many Ghanaian coaches caused havoc on the country’s World Cup qualification when they were given the chance.
Like Sam Arday, EK Afranie and Oti Akenteng, Herbert Addo is a member of a self-sustaining senior Ghanaian coaching elite that has always seemed rather too pleased with itself.
But men with the same fatal flaw. Vanity. The world of football has changed in tactics terms. That’s the reason why Akenteng publicly criticised Rajevac’s tactics yet it brought the desired results.
The only hope for Ghana is, there is a growing number of young ex-players who have played at the high level in Europe and have the requisite qualifications.
Tanko Ibrahim is working at FC Cologne, CK Akonnor showed promise at Wise, Sam Johnson, Otto Addo have all taken high quality courses. Stephen Appiah and Laryea Kingston are all keen on coaching. They can help turn the tide by bringing integrity.
Until these ex-players are ready to take up the mantle of coaching the Black Stars, the plug has been pulled on all the senior Ghanaian coaching elite.
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