Ghana Academicals coaches fight over player-substitution

Lagos (Nigeria) -- The two Ghanaian coaches who handled the VALCO academicals boys in their 2-0 win over their Nigerian counterparts, created an embarrassing scene at the bowl, Surulere national Stadium in Lagos as they were visibly seen in a serious confrontation over player substitution.

Head coach Bashir Hayford and his deputy Norman Arthur shifted their attention from the boys for a brief period to prove who was really the boss. It all happened in the first quarter of the second half at which time the Ghanaians were under intense pressure.

Coach Hayford apparently had instructed that Wabil Abdul be substituted for John Amuzu however, just as the papers were being filed for the substitution to be made, right wing back, Emmanuel Yeboah who had picked a yellow card had terribly brought down a Nigerian player.

Yeboah got a minor injury in the process and was stretchered off the field. But deputy coach Arthur sensing danger on the grounds that if the player went in he could attract a red card for a second bookable offence decided to substitute him instead of Abdul.

However, the decision did not go down well with Hayford who thought his powers were being usurped. The issue led to a serious confrontation as the two and unconsciously abandoned their roles of attending to the boys to sort themselves out. After a while, Arthur was seen taking a back stage for a while for tempers to cool down. Funny enough, Yeboah finally came out for another defender Henry Riss Okaikwei while Wabil went out for Amuzu.