Claude Le Roy Abandons Ghana

BLACK Stars chief trainer, Claude Le Roy, yesterday left the nation’s football in a fuddle after declining to renew his contract which ends on June 30.

The French coach, who guided the senior national team to a bronze medal position in the January 20 – February 10 Ghana 2008 Nations Cup is reported to have 'thrown in the towel' for personal reasons.

The 60-year-old tactician signed a two-year contract with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) after Ghana’s spectacular performance at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

GFA president Kwasi Nyantakyi had told the Times recently that Le Roy’s contract would be extended to enable him to guide the Stars safely through the 2020 Angola Nations Cup and South Africa World Cup qualifiers.

However, after an hour-long meeting with the GFA on Wednesday, the Frenchman declined to continue his job and is expected to leave Ghana on May 30, following an agreement struck by the two parties.

This is to enable the FA to get a quick replacement.

His last game for Ghana would probably be the Stars-Australia friendly in Sydney on May 25, almost two months after leading the four-times African champions to an excruciating 1-2 loss to Mexico in a similar campaign.

Ghana begins its quest to qualify for Angola and South Africa on June 1, a week after the Australia friendly, with a tricky tie against Libya at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi. FA. president Nyantakyi has however, assured Ghanaians that a suitable replacement would be found early enough to shepherd the Stars through.

Le Roy, late last month came under an avalanche of attacks from the football fans following his reported link to the South African job.

But the French trainer rejected the story when subjected to questioning by the FA.

It is not too clear whether that fuelled his decision to abrogate the contract.

Interestingly, the Stars physical trainer, Renard Herve, who was contracted by the FA, based on the recommendation of Le Roy, has also reportedly abandoned his job.

Herve, whose contract ends in July after 10 months in charge, has secured a top job as head coach of the Chipolopolo - the Zambia national team, sources at the FA confirmed yesterday.