Sports Journalist with Accra-based Joy FM and Joy News TV, Gary Al Smith says government and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) must admit that the country does not have football coaches with the requisite qualifications and competence to manage the senior national team, the Black Stars.
Speaking on the dismissal of CK Akonnor as coach of the Black Stars, Gary Al Smith said the Black Stars’ poor performance under the management of local coaches is an indication that the country lacks the skilled personnel to manage the senior national team hence, the need for the relevant authorities to admit to this and rescind the decision not to hire foreign coaches.
“The evidence (that we don’t have competent local coaches) is on the face of the pink sheet. Let’s go all the way back to 2006. It goes on to say one thing and I have said that as sad as it is, maybe, it is time for us to simply admit that as a nation we don’t have the people in the four corners of this country right now to handle the black stars,” he stated in an interview Joy FM.
The sports journalist noted that the senior national team had performed remarkably well under various foreign coaches and had on different occasions progressed to the finale of the Africa Cup of Nation’s tournament.
But since the decision of the football administrative body and government to rely on only local coaches for the management of the team, the performance of the team has been abysmal thus, the country should rescind the decision and engage a foreign coach if it desires to do well in tournaments in the future.
“If you recalled, the last foreign coach, Avram grant, where did he take us? He got us to the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations, didn’t he? So let’s remind people why the decision was taken to employ only local coaches. They took the decision because they believe that it was time we entrust the Ghanaian and empower the Ghanaian to do great things.
That if you give the Ghanaian coach all he needed or the Ghanaian technical team all they needed, they will be able to do the work. What has been the evidence? Kwesi Appiah and C.K Akonnor, (what have they done). I said at the time that we live in a world now, and this cuts cross various spheres of endeavors, where competence is keen and key. The color of one’s skin, really would it make a difference?” he quizzed.
GFA yesterday, August 13, 2021 announced the termination of the appointment of CK Akonnor and his two assistance as management of the Black Stars. The decision, the GFA indicated, was taken after it received and reviewed reports from the coach and the team management committee on the Black Stars’ performance in the two world cup qualifying matches against Ethiopia and South Africa.
The GFA has since set up a 3-member committee to find replacement for CK Akonnor and his assistants within 72 hours.
Reacting to the development, Gray Al Smith said he was not surprised about the decision of the GFA to part ways with Mr. Akonnor. For him, CK Akonnor does not have what it takes to deploy and effectively utilize the talents in the team.
