Frustrated Jones Resort to FIFA

Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, head coach of the senior national team the Black Stars, has expressed his frustration at the way some Europeans Clubs are making things difficult for players to come down forcing them to resort to FIFA as the last measure.

Speaking to the GNA, Coach Attuquayefio said going to FIFA is one thing that "we have tried to shun, in order to develop and maintain very good working relationship with these Coaches so that our players would not be made to suffer."

"When they are forced to come down against the wishes of their clubs they are always penalised when they get back which, in the long, run affects their performance because he no longer features regularly.

"We had a very hard time with clubs of Kwame Ayew and Charles Amoah before our first encounter in Congo and since their return, signals we have received showed they are doubtful for Sunday's match, so we have evoked FIFA's clause to make them come but we are yet to receive any reply to that effect".

He said in case these players fail to turn up, he hopes to fall on others since all players who have once played for the Black Stars are still eligible in his team.

Coach Attuquayefio said it is unfortunate that with only a few days to an important world Cup qualifier he has not got the full compliment of his players and he is training mostly with local players.

On Sunday's encounter with the Lone Star of Liberia, Coach Attuquayefio said he sees the Liberian threat as real since they have players like James Salisa Debah and George Weah who can turn the direction of a game "with one flash of magic."

"In the case of Debah who can be easily marked because he is an out field player, Weah is more dangerous because he has that ability to be very elusive by switching roles and striking when one least expects."

Meanwhile the skipper of the team C. K Akunnor, has denied in no uncertain terms rumours of a rift between him and his deputy Samuel Osei Kuffour.

C. K. Akunnor who seemed surprised at the question said relations between the two has been cordial and " we have been regularly talking to each other on the phone discussing how to ensure that the team qualifies for the world Cup.

The skipper, who was absent in the Stars match against the Congolese counterparts in Kinshasa because of club commitments, was one of the first to come down for Sunday's match against Liberia.

On whether they foreign-based players are now becoming selective on national assignments, the skipper again said it is not their doing that they miss such matches.