The plot is taking shape. And to make those who are resisting the appointment of a Technical Director for Black Stars coach, Kwesi Appiah acquiesce to their overtures, the plotters of the idea are bent on using their political stranglehold on GNPC to cow the GFA resistors into obeisance.
If anyone knows and/or has sighted German coach, Klaus Toppmoller, in town since Tuesday, November 5, 2013, precisely at the plush Holiday Inn (Hotel) at Airport City, then let him or her know that the German is not in Ghana for sight and sound and relaxation; forget that he is cooling off at the Holiday Inn.
Toppmoller is here on the ticket of football-management personalities closely associated to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, and he is here to ostensibly fill a void as technical director in the Black Stars.
Interestingly, the job of Black Stars Technical Director has perfectly been handled by a pair of well-known personalities in Ghana soccer, Francis Oti Akenten and Sam Arday, who have superintended over the (current) best period of Ghana’s World Cup qualifiers, including last month’s 6-1 drubbing of the dreaded Pharaohs of Egypt.
From all indications, however, the brain behind the Topmoller-for-technical-director agenda is well-known sports journalist, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, who happens to be the younger brother and the Special Aide to Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah.
Since the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA,) Kwesi Nyantakyi, has vehemently opposed the original move and the concept is certain to be torpedoed, the zealots and their master, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, have resorted to plan B.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ampofo Ankrah, yesterday in an interview with Accra-based Happy FM refuted the allegations levelled against him and went on to state that his ministry has nothing to with the assertions.
The Sports minister stated that the GFA is an autonomous body and wondered why anybody will want to associate him and his outfit to the matter at hand.
These “coup makers” are threatening the GFA and Coach Kwasi Appiah.
They have plainly told Nyantakyi that they would use every political arsenal at their disposal to force a key sponsor of the national team, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC,) to withdraw its sponsorship.
Their demand: Nyantakyi, Kwasi Appiah and their teams must accept the appointment of Toppmoller as the Technical Director of the Black Stars.
Interestingly, speaking on an Accra-based radio station, Asempa FM last Tuesday evening, the Communication Director of GFA, Saani Daraa, cast insinuations as to who is, probably, behind the Toppmoller agenda and gave the strongest indication yet that the GFA would neither budge nor give in.
“We don’t know Top or Down Moller. Go and ask those who brought him to Ghana. All we know is that Kwesi Appiah is the coach of the Black Stars… You know those… behind such moves…. Go and ask them,” Saani told Enock Kwasi Worlanyo (Wallace,) host of Asempa FM Evening Sports.
Earlier on the same evening on Evening Sports Agenda, sports presenters at Oman FM, Kofi Mensah (Laimomo,) and Oteng Apau (Papin,) broke the news of Topmoller breezing into town. They even disclosed that plans are afoot to make the German part of the advanced Black Stars team to Egypt for Ghana’s second leg qualifier in Cairo on November 19, 2013.
Under the legal regime that defines the GNPC-Black Stars sponsorship deal, Today gathers, it would be extremely difficult for any of the parties to resort to unilateral abrogation of the contract. But that would be in a state where the law is supreme.
However, in a country where politician, particularly those belonging to the party in national administration, arrogate to themselves the power to do all manner of things except changing a man into a woman and vice-versa, the threat of the coup plotters is more than a bluff.
In the World Cup qualifiers so far, the Black Stars have scored as many as 24 goals, the best ever in the three qualifiers that have seen Ghana reach the world greatest soccer fiesta.
About two weeks ago, speaking on the most popular sports station in Kumasi, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah put up a rather lame argument for the appointment of a Technical Director for Black Stars coach, James Kwesi Appiah.
Today established from sleuth hounding that made that argument for tactical reason: To fly a kite to test the reaction of fanatic (Kumasi) supporters of Kwesi Appiah and also to check out how the critical Kumasi sports presenters and writers would react to suggestion.
Today also has it on authority that Yaw Ampofo Ankrah and his gang of plotters are bent on pushing through the Topmoller agenda.
When Today contacted Mr. Ampofo Ankrah, his phone was responded to by one Nana Opoku who said ‘Yaw would respond to you when he is less busy….”
However, as of the time of going to press yesterday, Mr. Ampofo Ankrah was yet to return our numerous calls and text messages sent to his phone.
Klaus Toppmöller
Klaus Toppmöller (born 12 August 1951) is a former football player and the coach of Georgia national football team from 2006 to 1 April 2008. He earned 3 caps and scored 1 goal during his international career for Germany.
Coaching career
Toppmöller became coach of FSV Salmrohr from summer 1987 to 18 April 1988 when he became coach of SSV Ulm 1846 until February 1989. After his dismissal, Toppmöller coached DDR-Oberliga side FC Erzgebirge Aue from 28 November 1990 to 30 June 1991. He then transferred back to the Federal league with SV Waldhof Mannheim from 19 September 1991 to 30 June 1993.
In light of his success, Toppmöller became coach of Eintracht Frankfurt, with whom he had a very successful start. But after failures with the squad relationship and resultantly missing the championship he was dismissed on 10 April 1994. Toppmöller then joined VfL Bochum on 9 November 1994, with whom in the 1997/98 season reached the last sixteen of the UEFA cup. On 30 June 1999 Toppmöller left his position as coach of VfL Bochum, but was eventually dismissed on 29 November 2000.
From 1 July 2001 Toppmöller was coach with Bayer 04 Leverkusen, whom in his first season led to the final of the UEFA Champions League, as well as second place in federal league and the German cup final. Toppmöller was resultantly declared by German sports journalists as “football coach of the year” for 2002. However, in the following season Leverkusen performed poorly, and in light of a poor league position which could have led to relegation, Toppmöller was sacked on 16 February 2003.
Toppmöller became coach of Hamburger SV on 23 October 2003. However, after the team fell to last place in the league, and Toppmöller used strange tactics, formations and out of position players (such as midfielder SergejBarbarez in defence), he was sacked on 17 October 2004.
On 1 February 2006 Toppmöller became national coach of the Georgia national football team, with Ralf Minge as assistant coach. He was dismissed on 1 April 2008.
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