Sports
Will the ‘Milo’ be tasty again?
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AFTER all the speculation and brouhaha over who is going to succeed CK Akonnor as Black Stars’ chief trainer, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) finally settled on Serbian Milovan Rajevac, on an expectant Friday afternoon.
Many had sat on tenterhooks as to where the next manager would be coming from. Many names had been bandied around.
But the pendulum was always swinging towards Rajevac, once his identity popped up among a heap of marquee names.
The 67-year-old gaffer initialed a two-year deal with Ghana – having been tasked to break the ‘Stygian silence’ as regards Ghana’s disquieting failure to win the Nations Cup since 1982, as well as qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Milovan is enjoying a second bite of the cherry. He was first engaged in 2008, first guiding the Local Black Stars to the finals of the Championship of African Nations (CHAN), before spearheading the Stars to the quarter final berth of the FIFA 2010 World Cup, staged in South Africa. In fact, but for Luis Suarez’s deliberate handball incident in the last second of their quarter-final clash against Uruguay, the Stars would have romped into the semis. That would have been some history! African history!
Qualifying for the Qatar quadrennial football festival would be celebrated wildly by Ghanaians. But halting the Nations Cup title drought should unquestionably see an uncontrolled, hysteric jollification and merrymaking.
Indeed, victory at AFCON would have sealed many twists and turns to a dramatic denouement that have seen scores of coaches struggle to break the now 39-year-old debacle.
Milovan’s first hurdle, however, is to put back on track the nation’s World Cup qualification ambitions as he tries to assemble a compellingly winsome team against Zimbabwe (Saturday, October 9) in next month’s double header at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium and in Harare (Monday, October 11).
Somehow, the Serbian managed to waltz his way into the hearts of Ghanaians during his first romance (2008-2010) – but that tenderness would come with a lot of anticipation – which must be supported by the FA.
It was revealed that the immediate past Stars’ coach Akonnor did not elicit the requisite backing from the FA, especially with regard to player invitation into the national team. The situation, obviously, would have to change for the better if the ‘Milo’ is going to be charmingly sweet again.
Heartily, the Serbian says he is going to take full responsibility in player selections. That is good to hear.
In his previous outing, Milovan played a total of 28 games and won 12, drawn same number and lost four – scoring 35 goals and conceding 33. Not a bad record though, but he may have to improve on his concession rate and aim at scoring more.
Though only two games played, the Stars – former World Cup quarter-finalists, have not given any strong indication of making it to the Mundial. They have been very less inspiring and really discomforting in both games against Ethiopia and South Africa, selling out some rambling football of indignity to the world. That was what precipitated the exit of Akonnor.
On October 9 when they take on the Warriors of Zimbabwe, Ghanaians would expect to see a polished Black Stars that play with bountiful flair, panache and such ruthless intensity in attack.
Of course, nobody needs to tell Milo to invite players who are busy for their teams; not bench warmers, not pretenders, not those who are eager to pay money for their spot – but rather, quality actors who are prepared to give their all for the result! That is the only way Milo could make his second coming tastefully memorable again.
PlainTalk with John Vigah
CAF 2nd Vice President and President of the Ghana Football Association, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, has visited the Black Princesses in Poland ahead of their opening game at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The GFA President, who watched the team’s training session, assured the players of the Association’s full support and backed them to make history by qualifying from the group stage for the first time.
“A few days ago, I was in a chat with the head coach and I promised that I was going to join him for what I think is the most important game for us, which is the first game,” President Simeon-Okraku told the team.
“For me, the first game is the most important, because if we start well, chances are that we will do well. History tells us that this team has always been here. We’ve always been at this tournament for seven consecutive times. My inner faith is telling me that we have enough quality here to qualify from this group.”
He praised the players for their sacrifice and patience throughout preparations, saying their investment would be repaid on the pitch.
“You have been patient and gone through the troubles and the hassles. And you are here today. I believe that these sacrifices you have made, these investments you have made, will be repaid,” he said.
The GFA President stressed that Ghana has the quality to overcome their group opponents.
“We are faced by three opponents — Ecuador, Korea Republic and France. These three nations, believe me, are no better than us. We have enough quality in this team to win games in this group and to make it to the second round of the competition.”
“This tournament is played every two years, so after 14 years, this is the 16th year now — this group must be the one that makes it out of the group to the knockout stage. And this must happen.”
“I think the team is ready. The technical team have done a good job. The players have conducted themselves well. We will continue to support you to ensure you get the best to be able to compete at this level.”
He also charged the final squad to make those who missed out proud.
“A few of you were here but didn’t make the squad and had to leave. This is that moment that you have to make them proud.”
President Simeon-Okraku was accompanied to the training ground by Chief of Staff at the GFA, Michael Osekre, and President of Dreams FC, Jiji Alifoe.
Ghana will open their campaign against Ecuador on September 6, 2026, before facing Korea Republic and France in their other group matches.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
In the midst of the storm that rocked professional boxing organisation almost a year ago, a decision was taken which is unprecedented in the annals of the sport in Ghana.
Following the death of a Nigerian boxer in a Ghanaian ring, the modus operandi of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) was questioned in various quarters.
Just when the storm appeared to have settled, another disaster struck. Ernest Akushey ‘Baubali’, a famous local boxer was lost to the icy hands of death, 10 clear days after a bout. It was such an unfortunate incident. May he keep resting in peace.
Even before the cause of death comes out, the GBA administration was put on the chopping board, and became a gum in the mouth of all. Almost everyone ‘chewed’ some.
Perhaps, considering the weight and ignominy of the incident, the mighty and powerful had to step in, taking major decisions to ensure some sanity in the sport.
Among the popular decisions arising out of this intervention was the call for sweeping reforms that led to the establishment of an Interim Management Committee (IMC) which has now assumed the role of the GBA because of the failure to organize elections to handover to an elected body because of the non-availability of funds.
The second was the last minute cancelation of a promotion to be staged by former boxer, Michael Nii Ayitey Okai, aka Ayittey Powers.
There appears to be some calm over the first decision as boxing stakeholders wait patiently, hoping that the IMC does the needful in no time.
But the latter, regarding the cancelation of the bout has continued, becoming a tango between the former boxer-now-turned promoter and the Director General of the National Sports Authority, Mr Yaw Ampofo Ankrah (YAA).
The Accra Regional Police Command this week arrested the veteran boxer, after he has reported himself at the station, over an alleged threat of death made against Mr. Ankrah after a video of him talking about the issue went viral.
A police statement said ‘Dada Powers’ was arrested in connection with an alleged threat made against the NSA boss.
Sadly, the circumstances under which the decision to cancel the promotion was made and the absence of a precedent to follow, have made a solution difficult to come by, a year after.
One remembers the back and forth about the decision as to whether the fight would be staged or not.
With assurances that the fight would go on, Powers claimed to have paid so much to boxers in terms of purses and other organizational expenditures, only for the NSA boss to drop the ill-fated announcement cancelling the promotion.
Since then, Dada Powers has seen the decision as a unilateral one from the NSA boss and has constantly blamed YAA for his present predicament. What is, however not clear is the form of compensation Powers is asking for.
As of now, one is at a loss whether he is seeking a refund of his expenditure or awaiting clearance to stage the fight.
If it were to be the latter, there would be no problem with that since boxing promotion has return in full force with the IMC sanctioning close or over 10 promotions.
This problem should not have arisen in the first place if that decision had been carefully thought through. If that was done, it would have found a way out of the mess it created for both parties.
Clearly, Powers is seeking for a sort of compensation which he has failed to communicate well. Despite the guidance from well-meaning people, he decides to sometimes use some ‘ring’ tactics to express his concerns.
If Powers is not aware, he must be advised that there are laws that governs every transaction or activity so no matter how legitimate his concerns may be, he is bound by the same laws to demand for justice in the right way.
Now in the custody of the police and latest reports suggesting the matter has ended up in court, the focus now shifts from the substantive matter to his behaviour that puts him in a bad light for a certain class of people.
Instead of seeing Yaw as an ‘enemy of progress,’ he must show an interest in working closely with him and others to find an amicable solution.
Maybe by extension, the decision to cancel that bout should be subjected to a probe – to know how it came about, it merits and demerits and whether it was in the best interest for Ghana boxing.
By Andrew Nortey
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