GFA Boss Escapes Mob Attack

It was double agony for Ghana Football Associ- ation (GFA) chairman, Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, when the Black Stars failed to shine last Sunday.He narrowly escaped attack from red-eyed football fans outside the Kumasi Stadium for what they described as his poor handling of Ghana football.

The timely arrival of two soldiers at the scene saved the situation when the charged fans,who were earlier doubtful of the identity of the bearded man in the Honda vehicle with registration number GR 4265 T, later realised he was the GFA chairman.It was quite a chaotic scene as the enraged fans surrounded the vehicle, some banging at it, and daring him to come out, for mismanaging Ghana football, mentioning in particular his recent statement that he had nothing to do with the Charles Taylor affair.

One furious fan was heard saying, " You say you have nothing to do with the Charles Taylor money, and now you are running away after looking on for the Black Stars to draw at home".Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe's car sped off quickly after the soldiers managed to drive away the crowd. Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe might have sensed trouble before the match when he parked his vehicle near the main entrance to the stadium instead of the VIP Car Park.Graphic Sports spotted him boarding his car immediately after the match, and as he went out of the main entrance, the fans charged at him and had to be rescued by the soldiers.

No matter how one looks at the attack, the fans were indeed disappointed on a day one of the biggest crowds in recent times jammed the Kumasi Stadium to support the national team.The Congolese believed they could have won the match if they had arrived in Ghana earlier.

The Simbas' French trainer Claude Leroy believed the flight problems, which delayed their arrival in Kumasi had a toll on his players, and the Black Stars needed to thank their stars for that.He was confident that Congo DR would emerge tops in the group and qualify for the World Cup in 2006.

Quite unbelievably, the Black Stars' creativity in the middle was virtually absents allowing Tsholola Tshinyama, Ilongo Ngasanya and Milambo Mutamba to knock the ball round with extraordinary zeal.It was a cohesive performance from the Simbas, especially at the rear and in the centre, and the Black Stars were lost in the game for a greater part.

For a team that had a chunk of its players playing locally, it was amazing the way they put the brakes on the big names in the Black Stars.The laxity on the Black Stars front had a telling effect on the attacking plan. Ibrahim Tanko looked clumsy and could hardly cope with the speed and strength of the Congolese defence revolving around Mubiala Katambala and Bagata Dikilu.

Tanko always dropped off from the front and struggled to look for space, and it was a matter of course when Bernard Don Bortey replaced him before the start of the second half.The indecision of Malian referee Coulibaly Koman, which denied Ghana a penalty after advancing Don Bortey was tripped in the box in the 49th minute, still remains a major topic in Kumasi.

"It is a cruel decision", a fan shouted out after the match, and indeed many believed the referee was very unfair.For stopgap coach Sam Arday, it was an uncomfortable experience, and what a bad day it was for the coach as he got stuck to his position throughout the match.