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I Felt Betrayed – C.K. Akonnor On Brief Black Stars Coaching Job
Former Black Stars skipper and Fomrer Black Stars Coach, Charles Kwablah Akonnor has admitted that there were challenges that hindered him from effectively achieving his goal as Coach during his stint with the Black Stars which ended a year ago.
“At a point, I felt that I needed to talk to somebody, not necessarily to teach me what to do. I did not get certain things right because there was too much talk about what I was doing”, he said on Soccer Chat with Fiifi Banson.
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Charles Akonnor who captained Ghana’s Black Stars at the 2000 AFCON even believes he was betrayed by certain individuals within the Ghana Football Association during his brief time in charge as Ghana’s Head Coach.
“Sometimes I was not too sure who I was talking to. I spoke to certain people to help me and I later heard the content of our discussion from other people”, he revealed.
Background
In 2020, the Ghana Football Association appointed Charles Kwablah Akonnor as Head Coach to be assisted by David Duncan.
This was after James Kwasi Appiah’s contract had expired and was not renewed due to poor performance.
No sooner had C.K. Akonnor set to work, than the deadly Corona virus struck. Consequently, C.K Akonnor never had the full complement of the Black Stars team due to Covid 19 restrictions and injuries.
That notwithstanding, C.K Akonnor managed to qualify Ghana to the AFCON 2021 tournament.
Charles Akonnor’s problems begun in the World Cup Qualifiers.
CK Akonnor had a tumultuous and turbulent stint with the Black Stars amidst media reports of an alleged frosty relationship with the GFA President Kurt Okraku who also happened to be his former boss at Dreams FC.
He was fired in September 2021 after managing 10 games where he won 4 matches, drew 4 times and lost twice.
TOXIC ENVIRONMENT
The former Ghana International and former Black Stars Coach confirmed that the atmosphere around the Black Stars during his time was not the best and was not conducive for success.
He further explained that ” a lot of the things that happened during my stint were wrong. Later on, the information I got tells me that a lot went wrong.”
“What I experienced with the Black Stars was not good but I’m not the only one who suffered that treatment”, C.K. Akonnor said as it appeared that he did not want to go into details on what really transpired during his brief spell with the Black Stars.
However, Charles Kwablah Akonnor is of the view that all Ghanaians must let go of their grievances towards the Black Stars and help support the team as Ghana heads to the World Cup.
“I will let go of what happened in the past. Right now, we’re in a position where we’re going to the World Cup and we all need to be positive and support the team”
“Otto Addo did a very good job by recognizing me which I really appreciate. That’s enough for me. He is my colleague and I will give him the necessary support he needs.
The Former Wolfsburg and Black Stars skipper says he will rectify a lot of errors if given the chance to Coach the national team again.
“I let myself go through things that weren’t necessary and rather won’t happen again if I get the chance to Coach the team again”, he asserted.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
