Minister, GFA boss disagree on Black Stars' next coach

Black Stars coach Emmanuel Afranie must be wondering what he would be doing by January. January is the date FA boss, Ben Koufie has earmarked for the appointment of a substantive coach for the country?s senior national team, the Black Stars.

Mr. Koufie looks set to go ahead with the search of a new coach for the beleaguered team, and he wants it done quickly. "I believe it could even be before then but we have given ourselves till 1 January at the latest." Koufie told the BBC. There are seven expatriates and two Ghanaians who are all claiming to be the men who can direct Ghana football appropriately.

Afranie, who has had relative success with junior national teams, will argue there is nothing to direct. He will have considerable backing from Youth and Sports Minister Edward Osei Kwaku (MP). The Minister with a soft spot for football appears to be favouring the retention of caretaker coach, Afranie.

The Ministry has even drawn up proposals that will reward the coach 10million cedis in salary for the job. The Minister is an avid supporter of Afranie. He says the former Satellites coach has demonstrated over the last few years that he can deliver on the big stage.

The GFA has in characteristic fashion been cagey about the issue. Mr. Koufie said recently that Afranie was appointed in an interim capacity and that that has not changed. One thing is beginning to emerge from all this. There is a growing disagreement between the FA and the Sports Ministry over the technical future of the national team.

And it will come to a head if the FA decides to go for a foreign coach. With the Milan Zivadinovic experience fresh in their minds, it is highly unlikely that the Sports Ministry would second the appointment of another foreign coach.

He has been severally reported, and is yet to deny it that Ghana has not reaped well from the appointment of foreign coaches all these years. For him, it is about time the nation went back to the 60?s. 70?s and 80?s when the Black Stars were strongest and were handled by local coaches.

Ben Koufie?s reaction to that is simple, straight to the point and clear. ?The mere fact that Zivadinovic duped Ghana doesn?t mean we shouldn?t go in for another one.?

And it seems that is what we would go for if Koufie has his way. Prompted by the country?s kit sponsor, L-Sporto, the FA is getting about the business of searching for another foreign coach assured that financing wouldn?t be too much of a problem.

Koufie?s choices are restricted even more by the caliber of local coaches interested in getting the job. Mohammed Polo and Abdul Razak were two great players whose feet let the Black Stars glitter but there is little in their CV as coaches to suggest they can handle the huge demands of coaching Ghana. Apart from a long spell with youth teams in the United Arab Emirates, Polo has done little to prove his mettle as a top-class coach, which is what Ghana needs.

Razak has been relatively successful. He won the league title in Mali after a remarkable full run in the season without losing a single defeat. Still he has declared himself good enough for the Black Stars coaching job suggesting even that there is an eighty percent chance he will get it. Koufie has wisely distanced himself from that statement but he says Razak has the qualities required for the national team job.

That is correct in a way but compared to Afranie, Razak is not there yet. After leading the Ghana U-20 team to silver medal placing in 2001, Afranie stepped in for the erratic Milan Zivadinovic and secured a 4-2 win for Ghana against Rwanda that resurrected the nation?s African cup hopes.

It was made clear then that his appointment is on a temporary basis. There is no disputing the fact however that Afranie would want more than that.

A perpetual moaner, Afranie has always felt hard done by how he is perceived in Ghana. One of the constant themes that run through most of his statements portray a man who feels a sense of accomplishment and feels frustrated that many of his countrymen don?t think same.

He could deliver a lecture on why he is a good coach and why he is the right man for the Black Stars job. Osei Kwaku disagrees. Ben Koufie is however staying silent. That could spell ominous departure for Mr. Afranie.