Ghana Football Association President, Kurt ES Okraku held a successful meeting with the minister of Education on Tuesday.
The meeting which was held at the Ministries is aimed at finding ways the two can relate their activities.
The GFA are reported to be having a program with young people in schools will be introduced to Refereeing.
Below is GFA Statement on the Meeting
President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt E.S Okraku on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, held a meeting with Education Minister Mathew Opoku Prempeh (Hon.) over partnership of mutual benefits.
The meeting, which took place at the Ministers office in Accra, discussed a host of issues and also looked at how the two entities can work together for a common good. They looked at various ways the GFA could partner with the Education Ministry to ensure that kids not only follow education but also pursue their sporting development.
Executive Council member Samuel Anim Addo, Western Regional Football Association Chairman Simon Ehomah and Samuel Aboabire, the Chairman of the Greater Accra Regional Football Association, accompanied the president to the meeting.
They also touched on the possibility of setting up a football academy, possibility of footballers getting scholarship to pursue higher levels of education, investment, enhancement and improvement of the inter-collages football festivals across the country, where in the time past, players that formed the Academicals were picked from, among others.
The Minister was very excited by the approach by the GFA and asked the federation to submit a proposal for consideration.
Dr. Kwame Kyei’s administration has been hugely criticized with regards to how players were signed into the club. The club is reported to have purchased over 70 players within three years.
The team has however, been successful in the years under review despite the signings.
Kotoko’s transfers and signings clearly shows they were planned.
Myfabulousonline.com decided to look back at some of Kotoko’s mistakes and misfits, with the club’s worst XI of the Dr Kwame Kyei era in a 3-4-3 formation.
Muntari Tagoe
Goalkeeper has long been a position of strength for the Fabulous club, the likes of Soulama Abdulai, Felix Annan, Isaac Amoako has established themselves amongst the Premier League’s finest during distinguished Kotoko careers.
We’ve opted for one of several back-up options to warm the Kotoko bench, with former Medaeama captain Tagoe taking his place in goal. Despite arriving with a reputation as a solid shot-stopper, Muntari Tagoe would spend almost a year at the club, most of it spent in the dugout.
He made less than five appearances for the club and was released last year.
Emmanuel Owusu
Asante Kotoko signed Owusu from lower-tier side Nea Salamina to add depth to the squad in 2017, where the centre-back had been a favourite at the division one side. Despite simply being a back-up action at Kotoko, Owusu struggled when given minutes under Steve Pollack.
After just a season he was sent packing under CK Akonnor and he is currently with Berekum Chelsea where he has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the premier league.
Stephen Ayiku Tetteh
Theoretically, Ayiku Tetteh could still turn around his Kotoko tenure as he’s still on the books having returned from an unsuccessful loan spell at Legon Cities.
He had a fantastic season at Ivorian side USC Bassam enticed the Reds to invite the centre-back for trials. Very quickly, he found life at the club to be much tougher than anticipated.
Abass Mohammed
The once-capped Black Stars player joined the Reds in 2018 under the reign of CK Akonnor after returning from a season spell in the United States with USL side Harrisburg Islanders.
Abass enjoyed a bright start to life at Kotoko in the 2018/19 CAF Confederation Cup. He was however denied a consistent run of games by intermittent injury setbacks.
It’s not that he has played atrociously in Kumasi, but neither has he reached the heights expected of him with his experience from Inter Allies and other clubs.
In December 2019, Abass suffered an injury while playing a gala at Tafo after breaking from camp.
Didi Arnold Alexis
The Ivorian midfielder went through a three days trial under former coach Kjetil Zachariassen before he was given a three-year contract to become one of the highest earnest in the club
Didi’s performance at Kotoko was nothing to write home about and has never started a game for the porcupine warriors.
His contract was terminated later and was rewarded with a three-month salary.
Daniel Nii Adjei
One of the club’s best talents in the last two decades but second spell at the club was a disastrous one.
In the twilight of his career, the 30-year-old was looking to lead the Porcupines to a first-ever Confederation Cup title, having rejoined the side in October 2018 but failed to make CK Akonnor’s matchday team and was released the following season.
He was signed hoping the playmaker would be able to rediscover his best form he had exhibited at the club before moving to TP Mazembe in 2012 but it proved to be a false dawn.
Umar Bashiru
CK Akonnor signed the midfielder when he took over the club in 2018 after the latter had impressed at WAFA.
Whilst a solid Ghana Premier League player, Bashiru was not at the level required for a club of Kotoko’s ambitions and struggled to make a breakthrough, behind the likes of Kwame Bonsu, Richard Senanu, etc in the pecking order for midfield places.
After just a season, he saw his contract terminated after coach Zachariassen told him he doesn’t know him to be a Kotoko player. Sigh
Baba Mahama
Another midfielder who never looked good enough for the Reds.
He was regarded by the Fabulous fans as the ‘Football President’. The 22-year-old was brought from Techiman City when the side suffered relegation to Division One after the 2015/16 season and received the ten shirt.
After a good first spell with the club, Baba Mahama failed to hold down a regular place in the ongoing 2017/18 ZylofonCash Premier League, featuring in only three league games (twice from the bench) under coach Paa Kwesi Fabin. He had his contract with the club terminated after.
George Abege
With an impressive showing at the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup with Kariobangi Sharks convinced Asante Kotoko to capture the Ugandan. But little did they know he was not the solution to their goal-scoring problem. Interestingly, he became the highest-paid player in Kotoko after penning a three-year-deal in 2019 under Kjetil Zachariassen.
However, the towering forward failed to make an impact since his arrival in Ghana – arguably the worst striker under the Dr Kwame Kyei era with his transfer fee and his wages he received.
Asante Kotoko later wanted a loan deal for the bulky striker but they could not find a club for him hence the termination of Contract.
Mawuli Osei
Osei joined Asante Kotoko in February 2018 under Paa Kwesi Fabin after several years in Israel where he featured for Hapoel Haifa, Hapoel Bnei Lod and a host of others.
With his experience, the 29-year-old failed to grab headlines in Kumasi – making four premier league appearances with a single goal.
He saw his contract terminated after just 90 days at the club.
Zabo Teguy
Asante Kotoko completed the signing of the Ivorian international in 2018 prior to their CAF Confederation Cup campaign. He penned a 3-year deal with the Porcupines but lasted only a season.
Zabo Teguy looked big and strong like anything could hit him and stick. He should have been a colossus, but he just wasn’t.
The Ivorian import has been one of Kotoko’s worst signing of the decade and the club were happy to let him leave last year despite being short in attack, which sums up his situation.
Coach: Kjetil Zachariassen
Zachariassen led Kotoko to a sub 40% winning percentage in less than one season in charge, the only permanent manager in the millennium, let alone the decade, to not win at least half of his games in charge.
The Norwegian was sacked for poor performance last year November, only four months after assuming duty as head coach of the club. He failed to qualify the team to the CAF Champions League group stage as well as the CAF confederation cup in less than a month.
Coach John Oppong Welbeck has been appointed as the manager for the Dreams FC youth side Still Believe FC.
The Ajax Capetown trained coach has much experience under his sleeves which he is expected to use to help in the development of the pool of talents at the club.
Dreams believe Oppong will guidet the feeder to maintain its niche of being the hub of football talent in Ghana.
Speaking to Dreams Media on his philosophy and style, the coach said, “I have love for player development and also believe that every player can be developed uniquely. I love beautiful possessive football and that’s what is going to be the identity of Still Believe”.
Still Believe FC is Dreams FC’s youth academy, it academy includes more than 100 young players
Ex-Ghana international Abedi Ayew ‘Pele’ has been ranked as the 4th greatest African player of all-time by France Football magazine.
Liberia’s George Weah was named as the best to have played, and Cameroon duo Samuel Eto’o and Roger Milla were the only footballers who came ahead of Abedi Pele.
While Didier Drogba, Rabah Madjer, Jay Jay Okocha, Mustapha Dahleb, Salif Keita, and Laurent Pokou are the rest of the players who completed the Top 10.
Ayew made his name in France after guiding Olympique Marseille to UEFA Champions League glory in 1993, and went on to win that year’s African Footballer of the year award.
He also played for French sides Lille and Lyon, Italian fold Torino, 1860 Munich in Germany and finally Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates where he retired.
Abedi, 55, was named three times African Footballer of the Year and also won the 1982 Nations Cup with the Black Stars.
Abedi was also rated fifth in the Top 30 African Footballers in the last 50 years released by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) in 2007.
Sola Ayew, Uncle of Black Stars players Andre and Jordan Ayew, has stated that luck plays a pivotal role in making the career of a player a success; and that is the axiom of the Ayew Family.
The father of the family Abedi Pele represented Ghana to the highest level in football, and the likes of Kwame Ayew, Rahim Ayew, Andrew Ayew and Jordan Ayew-all members of the family- have gone on to follow the father’s footsteps.
In fact they remain the family to have contributed most players for Ghana at the FIFA world cup since the Black Stars first qualified to participate in 2006.
Speaking in an interview with Light FM Sports, Sola Ayew expressed the family’s profound gratitude to God.
“We don’t know how to thank God. People travel from outside just to see the house that we were born in” he said.
“The utmost moment is when our family got represented by 3 players at the World Cup; it is something that we cannot describe.
“Our understanding in football as Ayew Family, we believe luck plays 75% and 25% with the person’s talent,” he remarked.
The Board Chairman of the National Sports Authority, Hon. Kwadwo Baah Agyemang has assured Ghanaian clubs of receiving some stimulus package in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It would be recalled that the hierarchy of the Ghana Football Association held a meeting with the Sports Ministry for package for the clubs.
But the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Perry Okudzeto revealed that the football fraternity is not among the sector been considered for the relief package.
However, speaking to Kumasi-based Sikka FM, Hon. Baah Agyemang revealed there are plans to surprise the clubs with a package soon.
“I can assure all the clubs that, all is not lost for them. They should expect some surprise in the coming weeks – Hon. Kwadwo Baah Agyemang told Sikka FM.
“Individual clubs could have sent their proposals individually, because the stimulus package is for only small scale businesses and GFA isn’t in that category.”
The suspended activities have burdened clubs with financial constraints. This package is therefore expected to ease pressure on the clubs.
The announcement of the Board of Directors for Asante Kotoko has been postponed to a later date.
The Life Patron of the club, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was expected to announce the new board members today but it has been put on hold, according to a report filed by Manhyia-based Opemsuo radio.
footy.ghpush.com/ understand the the announcement could be made after the three-member Committee formed by the King submit their report.
The Prof. Lydia Nkansah-led ad-hoc Committee was constituted to investigate the affairs of Kotoko after Kwame Kyei’s three year came to a close.
The Committee is expected to submit its report very soon, having had fruitful discussions with their invitees – which included players, present and past administrations, coaches, etc.
Bankroller of Ghana Premier League side, King Faisal Alhaji Karim Grusah has warned footballers to desist from womanizing in order to have successful careers.
Reports in the media suggest players have been engaging in a certain lifestyle instead of being indoors after the Ghana Premier League season was suspended due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The outspoken football administrator has advised the players to do away with womanizing to keep fit.
“Ghanaians don’t help players. Players have to help themselves. If you are asked to go and do training and you go and do womanizing then it is up to you. If you have a wife that is fine,” he told Adom TV
“We have seen a lot of players who couldn’t advance their career because of womanizing so they [player] need to stop the womanizing because it won’t help them”
Asante Kotoko Youth coach George Asare has revealed the harsh treatment he suffered from his team when he joined the Ghanaian giants.
According to the versatile player, most Ghanaian players are self-centred and feel uncomfortable when they see a teammate floundering.
Asare, who played for the Porcupine Warriors between 2007 and 2010 said he suffered hostile reception from people he even knew before joining Kotoko.
“It was very bad,” he said in a video interview about his impression during his first training session with the club. “I used to play with some of the guys and I thought they were going to welcome me because I was joining the team. But it was not like that,” he told Kotoko Express App
“They were not friendly at all. That thing is still happening now in Ghana. Some people will get ahead of you but when you want to get there, they do not want to see you there.
“I did not have someone to talk to so I kept asking myself; what is going on? These were the same guys I used to play with in colts so why is everybody trying to run away from me?
Asked if they thought that he was a threat, Asare said: ” I did not know exactly what they were thinking about me. But, they knew me and what I was capable of doing, and I thought they would be happy that I was joining the team.
Though Asare prevailed, the unfriendly atmosphere, he said, prevented some of the other trialists from giving up their best.
“I was not the only one,” he continued. “Because of that, some of the players could not play during the training sessions and the justifier and so were sacked.
“But I was determined. I did not look anybody’s face. I had a plan for my life. This was what I wanted. I had it and so had to hold it tightly.
“It was until our return from Sudan when it became clear that I was going to be signed that they started coming close to me. They came close to me because they knew then that they could not break me.”
Asare’s signing changed the narrative as he was not only accepted by his colleagues afterwards but also become a key member of the squad in the run to the league title.
Executive Council member, Frederick Acheampong leads a list of officials who have been appointed to serve on various panels in the new refereeing structure of the federation.
The CAF Match Coordinator has been appointed to chair the newly created Referees Assessors and Classification Panel. He will be joined by retired FIFA referee Justice Yeboah and Emmanuella Aglago as members.
The trio is responsible for evaluating and assessing the performance of referees by giving advice and constructive comments to help the development of the referees while also using a marking system. They shall also analyze the performance of referees in the matches in their various categories under the auspices of the Ghana Football Association. They are also responsible for grading and classification of referees.
In a related development, Deputy Chairman of the Central Regional Football Association Dr. Francis Eyiah Bediako will chair the Referees Match Review panel while experienced but retired referee R.K Atifu is part of a three-man Instructors team announced by the FA.
Below is the full list of appointments:
MATCH REVIEW PANEL
Dr. Francis Eyiah Bediako – Deputy Chairman, Central Region FA.
Innocentia Agbavitor – Retired FIFA referee
Paul Ayamba – Chairman, Match Commissioners.
This panel will review incidents picked up by official League footage and make a decision to refer the incident to the tribunal based on the rules of the game as outlined on a report sheet. They shall operate independently of Referees Committee.
ASSESSORS AND CLASSIFICATION PANEL
Frederick Acheampong – Chairman
Justice Yeboah – Member
Emmanuella Aglago – Member
INSTRUCTORS – TECHNICAL
Christine Zigah
R.K Atiffu
Seidu Bomisson
Their responsibilities include:
– Refereeing strategies
– Training referees on League specific rules
– Training referees on Player misconduct handling
– Ethics in refereeing
– Training Referees on refereeing positioning
– Training referees on psychology
(This list will be reviewed and improved continuously)
There shall also be a minimum of three (3) technical Instructors in every region.
INSTRUCTORS – PHYSICAL
Augustine Fugah
Tetteh Opae
Vivian Agor
The Physical Instructors are expected to come up with a training theory for referees. They are also responsible for the fitness of referees and their training.
This list will be reviewed and improved continuously
There shall also be a minimum of three (3) Physical Instructors in every region.
