New Stars coach needs gov't approval

Ghana's new national football coach Zivadinovic Millan of Yugoslavia requires governmental approval before he can start preparations for a friendly against World Cup finalists Slovenia.

Officials of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) said the 58-year-old Yugoslav was staying in his native country while they were waiting for the green light from the government for his appointment which was due to start last Wednesday. Millan, who led club side Obilic to second spot in the Yugoslav championship this season and who coached Yugoslavia in the late 90's, beat out the challenge of Scotsman Ian Porterfield to land the job.

He is said to be particularly excited at the prospect of being at the helm of the national team of a country so much endowed with football talents yet has found qualification for the World Cup an arduous task. It is a challenge he wants to take up and immediately.

“At first, we wanted him to come down and have a look at his contract before the team's assessment match with Slovenia. But with the delay in giving him the greenlight for the job, he may have to wait in Europe to receive the team,” a highly placed source at the GFA indicated on Monday.

Local coach Malik Jabir is expected to name the squad for the May 17 fixture in Slovenian capital Ljubljana and the team are set to leave on Monday. If all goes well, the team of those foreign -based players already in Ghana is expected to leave Accra next Monday to join those still in Europe early enough before the match on Friday 17 May.

Expected to be on Malik's list are Charles Amoah, Stephen Appiah, Augustine Ahinful, Michael Essien, Derek Boateng, John Mensah, Kofi Amponsah, Otto Addo, Ibrahim Razak, Kwame Ayew, Christian Gyan, Yakubu Abubakari, Hans Adu Sarpei and Eric Addo among others. Key players who would be missing out for obvious reasons are the former skipper C.K Akonnor, has assistant, Samuel Osei Kuffour and Alex Nyarko.

The Black Stars had earlier pulled out of another friendly against World Cup finalists Uruguay, originally scheduled for Wednesday in Montevideo.