Ghana misses Claude Le Roy, but ....

...interest still lies in Foreign coach
The Ghanaian Times has gathered that the senior national soccer team, the Black Stars’ next match, be it competitive or friendly will be under the tutelage of a top class expatriate Coach. The foreign-coach, as a matter of fact will however, not be German Burkhard Ziese or Italian Guisseppe ‘Kofi’ Dossena.
These were the revelations of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) management board chairman, Mr Ben Koufie, in an exclusive interview with the paper. “I do not have a name now, but I can certainly tell you that, it will be a quality one,” he said.
As to why, coaches Ziese and Dossena, who have expressed interest in the job will not be given the opportunity, the straight forward and candid FA boss said, “We are talking about quality, and I do not think that if they are of such calibre they would be sitting waiting for an appointment from us (GFA). Somebody would have certainly snatched them long ago without them staying long without job.”
He explained that, because Ghana delayed for just a week, the GFA lost the services of Claude Le Roy to another country. Mr Koufie, said, Le Roy, would have been signed on last November to take the Black Stars to the CAN 2002 tournament, but for the failure of the GFA to beat the signing-on deadline of November 15.
The disclosure brings to an end the rumour of Ghana signing on Messrs Ziese or Dossena who has been invited by his former Italian national team-mate Maldini, to assist him handle the Paraguayan national team during the World Cup Championship in Japan/Korea.
The GFA boss revealed that numerous friendlies or invitations have been extended to the Black Stars, but the FA has turned down some of them. He said among those turned down was one against the Brazilian national team which would have been honoured on the March 7 but could not materialise due to the short notice. However, GFA is getting itself prepared for other friendlies starting from the late April to the middle of May against other countries that have qualified for the world cup.
Mr Koufie agreed that quality coach means money. “We need good money for a quality product and the Sports Ministry has the power over there,” he said. He said the expatriate coach will have the duty to keep the job till the year 2006 before handing over possibly to a local Ghanaian coach.
The man who has initially been against the signing on of an expatriate coach says the current situation forced him to have a change in policy. With patience and unified front, uncle Ben believes the task is not insurmountable.