Committee to search for new coach for Stars

Accra, July 20, GNA - The search for a new coach to replace the former coach of the Black Stars, Ratomir Dujkovic has started in earnest with the institution of a nine member body with the mandate to get the new man to handle the senior national team.

Briefing the Congress of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) in Accra on measures being put in place to get a replacement for the coach, Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi, President of the Association said the nine-member committee is made up of people with the right expertise to ensure that the best coach is recruited.

Mr Nyantakyi said the mandate given to the body is to recruit a coach who is either better than the former coach or somebody of his standard.

The FA President said the pedestal that the Association has reached with the performance of the team at the World Cup requires that they go for the best on the market to ensure that the country either climb higher or maintain its present status.

He said the committee will not restrict its search to only foreign coaches but would open its doors to everybody who feels he has what it takes to coach the senior national team.

"The key word in the search is not about race or nationality but competence, since the moment it is narrowed down, it would eliminate some good hands".

He named the other members of the nine-man committee as Mr Fred Pappoe, Vice-President of the GFA and Chairman of the Black Stars Management, Mr Aloysius Denkabe, Vice-Chairman of the Black Stars Management and Jones Abu Alhassan, a member of the Executive Committee. The others includes Abedi Pele, representing the old players, Coaches Ben Koufie and Sam Arday, representing the Coaches Association, Oheneba Charles, former member of the FA and Mr Kofi Nsiah, the General Secretary of the GFA.

This Committee became necessary after the former coach of the Black Stars Ratomir Dujkovic quit his position last week after contract extension talks between him and the GFA broke down.

The coach in an unorthodox way, waited till the last minute when he was at the Airport on his way out of the country before handing over his resignation letter to the welfare officer of the GFA.

Coach Dujkovic two years contract with the GFA runs out at the end of the year.

He left the job citing ill health as well as accusations of persistent media pressure that came in the wake of the Black Stars first round exit from last January's African Cup of nations in Egypt. According to a statement from the GFA, all financial details in connection to the abrogation of the contract by Dujkovic are being worked out in the best interest of the nation.

The statement said in the interim, the assistant coach of the Stars, Sellas Tetteh would act as the Head Coach of the Black Stars until a substantive one is appointed. 20 July 2006