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Soccer News of Tuesday, 5 November 2013

Source: Rexford Nii Aryee Tetteh

Stars don’t need technical director- Coach Wellington

Former Ghana Under-20 soccer Coach, Orlando Wellington believes Ghana’s Senior National Football Team, the Black Stars do not need an expatriate for the position of a technical director.

According to him, any member of the current GFA technical committee headed by Ben Koufie is more than qualified to occupy such a position should the need be for such a position to be filled.

“Honestly I don’t believe Kwesi Appiah or the Black Stars need a technical director considering the team of technical experts who oversee and supervises the technical team.

What many don’t know is that the GFA has a technical team/committee that oversee and work hand-in-hand with all national team coaches and considering the qualification and pedigree of these members coupled with the advice and recommendations they make to us (national team Coaches), I don’t think the GFA needs an expatriate for a position such as a technical director if we are to name one” he added.

“Tell me whether a technical committee comprising the likes of Ben Koufie, who is a CAF/FIFA instructor, Francis Oti-Akenteng, a senior CAF instructor, Sam Arday, Emmanuel Afranie, Osam Duodu who have all coached at the highest level and won trophies for the country cannot guide the current Black Stars team to achieve results at the World Cup” he stated.

“The talk of bringing on board an expatriate to act or occupy the position of a technical director is a threat and disrespect to Ghanaian Coaches if you ask me”, he said

According to the 2010/2011 Glo Premier League coach of the year, the focus now as a nation should be towards the return-leg/final qualifier against Egypt to secure qualification for the World Cup and not whether the Black Stars need a technical director or not.

“In football anything can happen. We need to focus on the return game against Egypt. We won 6-1 in the first-leg and they can also record same or even a higher score line so please let’s focus on the final game and secure qualification before this issue about whether we need a technical director or not” Coach Wellington noted.

He however stressed that what is needed most is for both the GFA technical committee and the current Black Stars technical team to put their heads together and select competent coaches to help scout for the team after they have secured qualification and know their opponents for 2014.

“Just like Sam Arday, Cecil Jones Attuquayefio and U.S based Emmanuel Sackey did for Ratomir Djukovic for the Germany World Cup in 2006 by scouting for the team, the GFA technical committee and current Black Stars technical team needs to put their heads together and come out with competent coaches to help scout for the team after the draw has been made and our opponents known” he added

Orlando Wellington who is currently based in the United States is in the process of heading a soccer side after undergoing series of coaching course in the USA.

By: Rexford Nii Aryee Tetteh, USA.(Member, United States Foreign Press. niiayitetteh@gmail.com)