GHALCA Boss Decries Selection Into Satellites

The Chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA),Mr J.Y. Appiah, has given the head coach of the Black Satellites, Francis Oti-Akenteng, a one week ultimatum to justify his selection of players into the team.

According to Mr Appiah, failure by the coach to give a convincing explanation will compel him to pursue the mattter to its logical conclusion.He described the coach's selection as biased as it was not broad-based enough to reflect the true picture of the national team.

“The national U-20 team is not a coastal team but for the whole country, therefore we will not allow anyone to limit the scope of selection to benefit a few clubs”, he emphasised.

Speaking to the Graphic last Friday, the enraged GHALCA Chairman said he had done his own investigations and come to the conclusion that the selection was not justified.

“Does the coach want to tell us that there are no good U-20 players in the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions?”, he quizzed.

“I'm giving the coach one week to come out with an explanation, other than that I'll move to take my next line of action”. He said he had also lodged a complaint with the vice chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Mr Kwasi Nyantakyi, who doubles as the chairman of the Black Satellites Management Committee to ensure that the situation was rectified.

He maintained that both the technical team and management committee of the Satellites were involved as far as the issue is concerned, and therefore expected them to address the problem together. It will be recalled that the newly-appointed coach of the Satellites, Oti-Akenteng, invited 29 players to begin camping at Obuasi last Wednesday to prepare for the 2005 African Youth Championship qualifier against Gabon in July.

Of the lot, Feyenoord Academy contributed 10 players, three were from Liberty Professionals, Ashantigold – five, King Faisal – two, Hearts – two, Midtjylland – two; while Kotoko, Olympics, Power FC, Real Sportive, Hasaacas and Ambassadors contributed a player each.