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08.09.2005 Sports News

Dauda' Departue brings Oly Augustt visitor

08.09.2005 LISTEN
By Nii Monim Adjei

.... Will he be accommodated? Wonder Club Accra Great Olympics looks unstoppable, with a 100% record after winning the opening match of the second round of the Divisional One League.The sky is the limit for the blues. The victory notwithstanding Olympics are still some journey away from the elite division where divisiveness, acrimony, boardroom wrangling and rancour ensured the great club of Ghana slumped to it present place in its fiftieth year of existence.

While the team's win without Dauda Lutterodt the man under who's guidance the team maintained an unbeaten run in the first, might seem to suggest that no one is indispensable in the Oly set up, issues leading to the his opting out might be looked into.

Dauda tendered in his resignation five days to the match citing personal reasons. Of course Olympics is not the only club Dauda Luttterodt has quit. After bringing Power FC out of relegation four seasons ago he decided to leave the team and even though he cited personal reasons as is the case with his present letter of resignation to Olympics, it was later realised that the bait of of Alhaji Bimbo' FC Midjiland was too attractive to ignore.

Inversely he is also not the only Ex-Olympics coach who has left mid-stream. Coach Joseph Emmanuel Sarpong did same twice before Starlets coach David Duncan to me a true AGOSU coach bowed to the pressure of the “mafia” threats of some recalcitrant Olympics faithfully. Duncan is out of reach and will take a Roman Abramovich to bring him back to the “dade” family. Sir Cecil Jones was also forced out after he led Great Olympics to the top of the soccer league table halfway the 1998 soccer league season. Two seasons later he led local rivals Hearts of Oak to a land mark achievement of continental glory with some players of Olympics he had previously supervised.

Before Dauda finally called it quit, there had been several calls from some supporters who think Olympics belong to them to sack him. This call had received support form some people in management to the extent that Eric Odai had to come to his defence. The Oly chairman saw no justification in sacking a coach who has promise to send the team back to where it met it (premier duivision) and was winning his matches. The coach won all matches but one against Midjiland FC that ended 1-1 at Teshie, Oly's home. The DOL later declared Olympics winners of the said match. Will some one then explain why the coach's resignation coincided with Mr. Odai's absence from the country. Could it be that he found no shield to the threats? Was it p! lanned to get him out before the chairman gets back to town? Even if the coach says his decision is irreversible have we made the effort to talk him out of his resignation as happened under R. O. Solomon with JE Sarpong and David Duncan? Or if, the chairman is not around no one can take up the responsibility of making sure the club is ran. Perhaps Dauda's resignation is what some have been waitng for so he can go. Is that the message?

It is normal for coaches to part company with clubs and move on with their lives as human beings. It is also a routine for coaches to get the sack, which Chris Taylor author of the “The Beautiful Game” preferred to call the traditional coaches reward. But when this becomes synonymous to a particular club and does not yield the expected results then it raises questions. How many coaches have handled Olympics since 2000 yet what has been achieved?

Is it true that the coach is owed two months salary? How then do you exert so much pressure on him even when the results are coming without fulfilling your part of the bargain? Why do players get their bonuses and salaries but the head of the team who orchestrates the winning formula is expected to wait when he has a family to keep.

What about the beefing up of the team, which has been suggested by the coach. Nobody need to inform the Olympics faithful that the journey to the premiership only begins from the sub- middle league where the best teams in the zones will be selected to compete for a place in the middle league. Dauda like Jones Attuayefio has just moved to the Phobian family in the capacity of an assistant coach. Whilst Ken Augustt is the man to take up his abandoned role. Ken might not have a big track record but like its been with most Olympics young coaches , they use the Wonder club as lauching pads for greater achievements. Augustt handled the defunct AC Olympiakos then moved on to Power FC. While I welcome Augustt to the seat of Oly's technical sit, he needs no one to inform him of! the pressure that will be on him as a result of the unblemish run Oly enjoys in their maiden Divisional One campaign. He might come up with new ideas and changes in team tactics and selection. However, the management and the supporters in particular should not put unnecessary disturbances in his way but rather encourage him to deliver the goods like Djukovic is buildng on Barreto's foundation. The journey is yet to start. Let the stakeholders look deep into themselves and find a solution to why coaches find Olympics non-accommodating. For no matter how good a coach is, without the good environment he cannot perform just like a good footballer without the requisite pair of boots.

Long suffering lovers of Great Olympics are sick and tired of see potentially good technical handlers, footballers and administrators of the club blossom with other clubs. The blue and white colours of the club were chosen in line with vision of the founding fathers that “the sky is the limit”. They that have ears should hearken and listen.

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