Koufie calls for cooperation

Ben Koufie, Chairman of the Ghana Football Association, (GFA) on Tuesday called for co-operation from all stakeholders in football to ensure the success of the new Black Stars coach Bukhard Ziese.

Speaking at a Press conference to introduce the new Black Stars coach, Koufie said the road to success would not be an easy one and there is the need to provide the required atmosphere for the coach to work.

Koufie said even though there is a clause in the contract which allows the coach or the GFA to back out if any party is not satisfied, there would not be any back out since the they are ready to give the coach the free hand to build a winsome team for the nation.

"We are going to provide the needed atmosphere for the coach to enable him give us the results we require, that is to qualify the nation to the 2004 Nations Cup and the 2006 World Cup", the GFA chairman stated.

He said there is no reason why the nation would not stick to the new coach since the ultimate aim of the nation is to make representation at the 2006 World Cup to be staged in Germany. Koufie said the 2004 Nations Cup would be used as platform for the future adding that in the event of a failure "that would not be the end of the road for the nation".

In response Ziese said there is the need for a good relationship between the GFA, the press, officials and coaches of all premier league clubs for the nation to succeed in her quest to take part in the 2004 and 2006 World Cup. Coach Ziese said his task is to place the nation at respectable position in the FIFA ranking and put Ghana among the best five in Africa. The coach assured all that he would do his best to qualify the nation for the two impending international assignments.