Foreign coaches have altered Ghana's style of play - Afranie

Former Black Stars Head Coach E.K Afranie says the influx of expatriate Coaches in Ghana has affected the country’s style of playing football.

Ghana solely relied on foreign Coaches to qualify her to both the 2006 and the 2010 World Cups until the appointment of Akwasi Appiah as Black Stars Head Coach in 2012.

The Ghana Premier League has also has three foreign coaches who are steering affairs at the moment.

Tom Strand is at Bechem United, Medeama SC has Roberto Carlos while Serbian Miroslav Bogdanovich is in charge of Aduana Stars. Soccer indigenes say the entertaining Agro football which was full of skill, power and interposition play has been neglected.

Coach Afranie led Ghana to the 2001 World Youth Championship in Argentina where the Satellites finished second behind a Javier Saviola led squad that also had Javier Mascherano and Pablo Zabaleta.

“In any case what have they been doing in their own countries,” Coach Afranie asked in an interview with XYZ Sports

“If they were that good will they have come here. Do they win competitions in their own country?” he continued

Some of them are not even near the technical bench but they come here and take up Head Coach Positions”

The Black Stars was described as a one goal project team during the tenure of Milovan Rajevach because the team was always defensive in their matches.

Milovan’s team was criticized for lacking flair and skill but they were credited for their solidity in defense. They finished in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations and got to the quarter final of the 2010 World Cup.

“Our style of play has changed because of these expatriate coaches and it’s not even yielding results,” Coach Afranie added.

“We have resorted to long balls and rigid play but even the English who started that football have stopped”

“We are noted for our agro style of play. The one I call the “noboa” system which literally means collective play where ten men defend and attack at the same time”

“Today we hardly see that kind of play in our League and also at the national level”

“We don’t enjoy our football again today because there is no is flair, no skill, any exceptional talents as well potent strikers.

“Ghana football is suffering today because of the influx of these foreign coaches and the earlier we tackle it the better for us all,” Coach Afranie concluded.