Osam threatens to quit

BLACK Stars caretaker Coach Fred Osam-Duodu has threatened to quit if he is not treated with respect.

He told Ghana News Agency (GNA) sports in an interview in Accra yesterday that he has been bombarded with a barrage of criticisms and cold reception by some management members of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and officials of the Ministry of Youth and Sports for recent media comments on him working without a contract.

The media, over the past two weeks, have brought under the searchlight the coach's contract issue and the fact that he has been working without an official vehicle.

Until recently, coach Osam Duodu was given a Toyota Land Cruiser but this was unceremoniously taken away from him and given to the chairman of the GFA, Mr Ben Koufie.

"At least a car should be at my disposal to enable me visit some of the league centres to monitor my players", he said.

"For instance I need to be at Obuasi on Wednesday to watch the Goldfield-Kotoko league match, and again on Sunday for the Goldfields-Africa Sports CAF Cup match, but how can I do this without a car?" coach Osam Duodu lamented.

He disclosed that he has received threats from some clubs, especially Kotoko, that players could not be released until after the league, adding that he needed to be at Obuasi to talk to both Kotoko and Goldfields officials.

"Instead of the GFA concentrating on how to convince the club officials to release their players to prepare for Mali 2002, they are much concerned about me granting interviews to the media on my contract issue", he said.

It will be recalled that Osam-Duodu’s predecessor, Cecil Jones Attuquayefio was handed a similar treatment, and but for some publications in the dailies, an official car would not have been given him.

Since taking over from Attuquayefio, coach Osam-Duodu has lost only one match in five outings.