"Sir" Jones to make history

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR of African champions, Accra Hearts of Oak, Sir Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, could make history by becoming coach of the year.

Coach Attuquayefio flies down south from Ghana via South Africa Airways to Johannesburg on Friday where his mission will be to receive an honorary award as the continent's foremost coach of the year 2001.

The former Ghanaian international, and until recently head coach of the Black Stars, achieved the unprecedented landmark by edging out Cameroon's Jean Akono narrowly in a recent poll conducted by the continent's soccer controlling body.

The maiden CAF Africa Football Awards Ceremony is scheduled for Johannesburg on Tuesday, May 22.

THE OTHER Ghanaian award winner is Ishmael Addo who grabbed the African Youth talent award. The prolific young striker also won the award coincidentally at the expense of Cameroon's goal poacher, Samuel Eto'o Fils.

Sir Cecil, who was originally scheduled to travel together with Addo to South Africa, is now expected to receive the player's award on his behalf as he is scheduled to leave for Italy for a two-week trial.

The story of the Hearts coach and his Cameroonian runner-up, Akono, is a clear case of a prophet having no honour in his own country: both technical brains recently fell out of favour with their respective FAs.

Also expected to be present at the high profile awards ceremony is Ghana's soccer celebrity, Abedi Ayew Pele, who is a guest speaker.

Speaking to the Graphic yesterday, an elated coach Attuquayefio expressed his gratitude to CAF for the wonderful acknowledgment and hailed the institution of the awards as a positive step towards developing the African game.

"I feel honoured by this award and believe it will inspire me to greater heights," he noted.