Ghanaian coach wins cash and car in Nigeria

Accra, Nov 11, GNA - Ghanaian born soccer coach Philip Boamah was among officials and players of Dolphin Football Club of Port Harcourt who received a car and one million naira each for winning the Nigerian league and FA Cup.

Dr Peter Odili, Governor of the Rivers State of Nigeria presented a brand new 2004 model of Volkswagen Polo car and one million naira each (about 67 million cedis) to players and officials of Dolphin Football Club in fulfilment of an earlier promise he had made to the team. Nigeriasports .com reported at the weekend that each of the 28 players and seven officials of the new double champions benefited from the Governor's largesse.

The report said Boamah, Chief Coach of Dolphin was the second person to pick his car from the pool, after Technical Adviser, Musa Abdulahi.

Presenting the cars to the players and officials, Dr Odili charged them to win next year's Champions League and receive more rewards. "Come and collect your car keys and remember that as you play in the Champions League next year, we expect you to win all matches home and away and when you bring the cup home, see how I will embrace you with riches."

Chief Allwell Onyesoh, the Rivers State Commissioner of Sports who distributed the one million naira cheques to the players and officials reminded them of the Governor's promise to change their lives if they won the league and the FA Cup.

"Now you can clearly see that there is a difference in your lives. Just go out there next season and do us proud," he charged the players. Philip Boamah had a distinguished playing career with the IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan in Western Nigeria in the late 70s and 80s before going into coaching.

At the beginning of the 2003 soccer season, coach Boamah who had coach Julius Berger Football Club of Lagos to the Nigerian league title the previous year came to Ghana in search of a coaching job. Unable to secure one, the coach returned to Nigerian and pitched tent with unsung Dolphin Club, transforming them into double champions within the spate of two years.