"Attach former goal kings to national teams" - Choo

Accra, June 27, GNA - Real Tamale United's (RTU) legend, Mohammed Choo has implored the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to consider attaching former goal kings to the various national teams to ease their goal scoring problems.

Choo, top goal scorer in 1978 and 1982 soccer seasons said the ex-players have a lot to offer in solving the goal scoring canker that is eating into the country's game, especially in recent times. The renowned goal merchant told GNA Sports in Accra that the GFA shoul= d task the coaches (former goal kings) with a special assignment to develop the goal scoring skills and abilities of the players.

He mentioned the likes of Kwesi Owusu, Dan Owusu and Opoku Afriyie, no= w Team Manager of the Black Stars as some ex-players who can help in shaping the striking abilities of the younger generation.

"We can start with the U-17 national team, and gradually to the top.= " Choo also rued the drastic decline in the number of goals converted by the recent top scorers, attributing it to the 91lazy' approach of the yo= ung players. Having scored 22 goals in 1978 and 15 goals in 1982, the ex-striker ha= s described the recent slump as disturbing as most young players pay little attention to self practice.

"The players of today do not practice at all. During our time, I vis= it the training grounds very early to practice goal scoring. But, it is not so today." Few years ago, when Choo was a member of the technical team of RTU, he said he was prepared to help the strikers in the team but their responses discouraged him from assisting them.

"I told the strikers to come early for some techniques in goal scori= ng, but none came. They were not even prepared to stay back after training, so I called it off." Choo has challenged the young footballers to change their attitudes towards self practice and success will smile at them in return for their efforts. The ex-striker featured for only the 91Pride of the North' during h= is playing days from 1975 to 1994.