Sports Features of Friday, 9 July 2010

Source: Ransford Peprah

Keep Milo or Release Him

Should Coach Rajevac Milovan be given the opportunity to lead the Ghana Black Stars to the 2012 and 2013 African Cup of Nations tournaments? Is he worthy enough to be kept for two more years? This has become an ultimate question in all Ghanaians’ minds; therefore, all citizens of the Republic of Ghana and football lovers around the globe are giving the opportunity to voice out their opinions before it is too late.

There is an understanding that the on-going GFA is to be stepped down after the WC tournament and so is the Black Stars coach. With what have been demonstrated throughout this coaching leadership, these are my humble questions, wouldn’t it be an appropriate thing to do in terms of keeping him for another two years? Is there any indication as either a local or a different foreign coach could be able to duplicate what Coach Milovan took two years to accomplish?

I don’t know about some of you, but to open up the files of facts, coach Milovan has being the best coach the country has ever provided for its citizens throughout the past 28years if not more. With their rules and regulations, disciplinary methods, although goofed once in a while, Milovan and his crew have become the rocks within the foundations of our recent football success. Therefore, the coach should not be allowed to leave the shores of Ghana for vacation until an extended two year contract has been guaranteed in his name. I could bet on this case that even his own country would be willing to offer him more than that $45, 000 a month, just to have him.

Beginning from the solid performances of the national team during the qualifications toward the 2010 CAN/WC tournaments, which Ghana became the first nation in the continent to qualify for both the 2010 World Cup games and 2010 African Cup of Nations, 2009 African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament, which the country came in second place, 2010 African Cup of Nations tournament, also second place, and the WC quarter-final berth , it is my humble plead to ask the citizens of the Republic of Ghana to consider at least another two more year contract for the National Head Coach, Milovan.

Ofcourse, with his tactics and his ability to lead a team to such glory, which was demonstrated during this year’s WC games, his demand, after his contract, would be a little higher. One advantage for us, though, is the fact that he is still the manager of the team. In other words, we still can negotiate with him and have him. Remember, “The devil you know is better than the angle you don’t know,” as they say. When a new coach is employed, as some have been requested, the price would possibly double. Here is the reason to the above statement. Our ex-coach, Claude Le Roy was reportedly earning around $30,000 dollars monthly, the highest ever paid for a trainer in the history of Ghana football. After 2008 Cup of Nations tournament, which marked the end of his contract, he demanded for $40,000 a month. GFA’s reason to decline Le Roy’s demand was the fact that the goal they set for him wasn’t met. Therefore, it was either he hit the road or dropped the subject. As a result, GFA brought in Milovan. He, on the other hand, didn’t even ask for the $40,000 Le Roy previously requested. Milovan added $5,000 more, and brought his own interpreter along whom the country has been paying $10,000 a month to since both arrived in the country.

Now, according to the oppositions which I termed “the Anti-Milos,” the coach was full of luck in all the tournaments the Black Stars participated. Therefore, his tactics and techniques didn’t contribute to the team’s success that much. Here is a single question to those fans. If Milovan isn’t good as they indicated, however, was as lucky as to get us to a quarter finals in the WC games, wouldn’t that alone be an evidence to keep him? Where on this planet can you discover such a lucky man? Wouldn’t that alone be enough to continue to have him around us? If the level the Black Stars reached (almost semi final) in the world cup tournament was due to his luck according to these fans, imaging him adding a little knowledge to it, where do we think the team would be in the next two years?

Others also are denying the fact that he is good but just want to have a Ghanaian coach for a change. Yes, change is good in any organization and in our society. However, someone with a common sense wouldn’t make a change to an on-going progress until he has 100% evidence that the change would bring a better prospect than what has already been coming in. To those fans, the question is whom do they have in mind with a record better than Milo’s at the moment? Which of our local coaches had the capabilities to even qualify us to a single world cup tournament since 1963? The country has no one at the moment. Therefore, why should we place an entire and a healthy team, as the one we have at the moment, into someone who has either lousy or no record’s hands?