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Sports News of Thursday, 9 February 2017

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

Black Stars management committee vice-chair insists Kwesi Nyantakyi is competent

GFA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi GFA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi

Black Stars management committee vice-chairman Wilfred Osei Kwaku has jumped to the defence of under-fire FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi, insisting the team's disappointing fourth-placed finish at the Nations Cup is not a failure.

Nyantakyi has come under tight scrutiny in the media after the Black Stars failed to end a 35-year wait for an African crown in Gabon.

The CAF and FIFA Executive member has been on the chopping board since the country lost 2-0 to Cameroon in the semi-finals week.

Critics have accused him of superintending over massive corruption at the FA amid claims his 12-year tenure has yielded no positive results.

They claim among others that he's not done enough to uplift the local league amid several negative allegations splashed on his administration.

But Black Stars management committee vice-chairman Wilfred Osei Kwaku, nicknamed 'Palmer' has parried the criticism as unfair.

"We are feeling the pains more than any Ghanaian because we are disappointed in ourselves and I know the insults will be at the highest order,” he told Accra-based Asempa FM.

“This is a national team and the coach and the technical team decides which player play in a match so things are very difficult for us to bear. We engaged the coach five times before the AFCON kicked off so you don’t always expect us to come out and say whatever we discussed with the coach and on the field of play, he chooses which player to play so you have no option to accept the selection of the coach”.

“For me, only posterity will judge us if Avram Grant was able to add something to the national team. It will be premature to judge him now because he has already agreed not to extend his contract so that even speaks more about his performance but going forward, we must correct our previous mistakes and get a coach who will understand our culture”.

“We should not take the whole situation personal and call for people to demonstrate against the FA when the FA has done nothing wrong. Placing fourth in the AFCON does not make the FA and its members incompetent. The Egyptians lost the finals so should they sack their coach or the FA president?” Mr. Osei quizzed.

Nyantakyi has two more years left but critics are urging him to resign.

But top FA officials have told GHANAsoccernet.com that the astute lawyer will stay on after receiving backing from some football aficionados.