Sports
Let Offei chart his own path
The appointment of African Games 2023 men football gold medalist, Desmond Offei as one of the assistants for Black Stars Coach Otto Addo will continue to be debated by football faithful.
Offei’s elevation has been hailed in certain quarters due to his tactical nous.
For others, the young coach should have been left alone to chart his own path, having commenced a burgeoning career with a feat chalked just twice in Ghana’s Africa Games history.
He was one of the new faces in the revamped Black Stars technical team announced this week by the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
He has been working behind the scenes for some time until his exploits at the Accra 2023 African Games with the national U-23 team, the Black Satellites brought him to the limelight.
The feat marked a resurgence of a young coach that was tipped to become the Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp or Carlo Ancelotti of Ghana because of the way he sets up his team as well as the way they played.
That also earned Offei, perhaps his biggest honour in Ghana football as he was awarded the Coach of the Year 2024 gong by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG).
In a few months’ time, he would commence work in the new role as assistant Black Stars coach in a totally new environment. That will add up to his experience in the game; no doubt about that.
The difference, however, is that he would not be the main man. Otto Addo, whose continuous stay as the Head Coach of the team has left Ghanaians in a state of uncertainty regarding Ghana’s qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, would be the main man.
What it means is that Offei’s role and what he brings to the table on the team would just be complimentary. It would be strictly subjected to Otto Addo’s scrutiny.
So, in effect, Offei’s ‘stamp’ may not be seen or felt on the team’s output unless Addo can easily accept superior arguments and be humble enough to admit Offei’s way is how to go.
From the all-conquering squad he selected, fine talents like Remember Adomako, David Amuzu, Aziz Issah, Emmanuel Adjei, Asamoah Tuffuor, Kelvin Nkrumah, Aziz Misbau and Jerry Afriyie emerged as stars for the future.
And even when it was obvious a number of the senior Black Stars players performed poorly, resulting in the failure to earn an AFCON qualification, these youngsters were ignored.
Jerry Afriyie was later considered but even with that, he was kept on the bench until when Ghana trained 1-0 against Kwesi Appiah’s Sudan in Accra.The young chap delivered by getting an equaliser and gave a pass that put Kudus Mohammed in a scoring range before he was fouled for a penalty which Kudus wasted.
A number of these players may have featured from the onset if Offei was in charge but one can also not blame Otto Addo since he would bear the brunt of the fans when they fail to perform.
From my point of view, Coach Offei must be allowed to be his own man to improve his trade, identify and stick to his own philosophies and master it.
He should be given more responsibilities with the juvenile teams rather than rushing him to a team full of troubles. The outcome, if not positive can shatter his hopes and affect his confidence. When this happens, Ghana football would be the sufferer – take heed FA!
By Andrew Nortey
Sports
Aduana Stars to benefit from ‘Nsoatreman largesse’
It will be the turn of Aduana Stars to benefit from the three points and three goals without kicking a ball as the Ghana Premier League reaches match day 28 on Sunday.
The Dormaa side are scheduled to play as host to Nsoatreman FC which pulled out of the competition for security reasons, following their involvement in crowd violence when they played Asante Kotoko.
After the decision that forced the FA to enforce its rules, clubs that were yet to play them have enjoyed three points and three goals without kicking the ball.
For the Dormaa side, the gift of match day 28 would go a long way to boost their chances of climbing the table to contest for some of the top of the table slots.
The story would, however, be different for the others including Asante Kotoko who would be engaged in a difficult clash against Nations FC at the Dr Kwame Kyei Stadium.
Kotoko are beginning to feel the pressure that comes from occupying the top position as clubs attempt to dethrone them week in week out.
They have drawn in their last two games against Heart of Lions and Bechem United. The game with Nations FC would be equally tough and would need their men to be in good shape to survive a third scare.
Dreams FC’s inconsistent form would continue at the Tuba Astro Turf where they lock horns with Vision FC just as Holy Stars look set to deepen the woes of Legon Cities in their game at the C.A.M Park in Ainyinase.
Hearts of Oak would have to show character to secure all three points against Karela United at the Accra Sports Stadium while Goldstars and Medeama SC slug it out at the Bibiani DUN’s Park.
The Kpando Stadium would host the battle of the Lions as host, Heart of Lions, oblige relegation threatened Accra Lions in a potentially explosive encounter.
At the Wenchi Stadium, Young Apostles will face Samartex FC while Bechem United host Berekum Chelsea at the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park.
Sports
Ayekoo, Police Ladies
Participation of Ghana’s security services in sports is seen more as a recreation or a creation for officers to be actively involved in play or physical exercise.
This reflects their absence on the honours boards of some of the major sports events, especially football.
But it is not so with other sports like athletics, boxing, handball, volleyball, basketball, mass sports and many others.
In these sports, they are dominated by players or athletes from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), comprising the Army, Air Force and Navy, the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Revenue Authority, previously referred to as the Customs Excise and Preventive Service, Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS).
Fact is, they have been credited with some of the major honours achieved in sports as a nation.
For instance, the Prisons service’s role in the career of the boxing professor, Azumah Nelson, has always been recognised as he started his career affiliated to the service.
GRA was considered a household name in the active days of basketball with years of dominance by the Brave’s team that stretched their dominance across Africa.
In volleyball and handball, Police, Fire and Prisons have created tensed and thrilling atmospheres that attracted hundreds of fans to the Prisons Sports Courts in Cantonment.
The Armed Forces have been strong in boxing and the marathons.
What is, however, making the services shy away from the honours list in football may perhaps be the belief that they may be in a disadvantaged position to keep pace with the professional clubs.
For the professionals, they eat and drink the game, but athletes or players with the services would have other duties to perform the moment they leave the field or their respective training venues.
Secondly, their conditions of service would not allow them to ‘poach’ or sign on players at exorbitant amounts. This means the services would find it difficult to attract good footballers to compete with the likes of Hearts’, Kotokos, Great Olympics and others.
However, the Police Ladies football team rendered this analogy gibberish over the weekend with a historic triumph in the Southern Zone of the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
After an 18-week run, the Police Ladies team that has campaigned under the shadows of top women club sides in the competition emerged from those dark shades, setting an enviable record other sister agencies would target to emulate.
The women in blue-and-white were crowned Southern Zone of the Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League champions, unseating the regular winners, Hasaacas Ladies.
It was a hard-fought victory for the police women and the joy that greeted the final whistle was incredible as they cartwheeled in unending joy to mark a feat never achieved in their history.
That was understandable because it came over Hasaacas Ladies, an experienced side that made marks in their maiden participation in the CAF Women’s Champions League competition.
However, going into the final game with 36 points, same as their opponents Hasaacas Ladies, the scale tilted in favour of Hasaacas Ladies.
But while the police women managed a 2-0 victory over FC Epiphany Warriors at the Adjiriganor Astro Turf in Accra, Hasaacas Ladies dropped two vital points after being held to a 1-1 draw encounter against Jonina Ladies.
Police Ladies, thus, finished the season with 11 wins, six draws, and one defeat, accruing 39 points would now face Northern Zonal Champions, Ampem Darkoa, in the playoff finale in May.
In congratulating Police Ladies, one would wish to present the feat as a challenge to the other security agencies to begin to focus on the business aspect of sports.
In some part of Africa, police teams feature regularly in their male elite leagues just as it remain a common feature in the francophone regions where Douanes (Customs teams) feature in their elite competition.
Sadly in Ghana, no team, as of now, from any of the security agencies have come close to even the national Division One League (DOL), indicating a very low desire to recruit very good players to make them competitive.
But reaching the very top in sports is not something beyond them. The feat by Police Ladies clearly shows that when the recruits are groomed well, they can become top professionals and compete at the highest level.
Maybe in their future recruitment, they can place special emphasis on signing people with special talents to give them competitive advantage. That will also put their players who are not staff of the service the chance to be considered.
As we wait to hear when any of the security agencies would sell their first player, we say a big ‘ayekoo’ to the Police Ladies team for doing a yeoman’s job.
By Andrew Nortey
