Five-Year Dev't Plan to eliminate corrupt selection

Mr. George Dasoberi, Ghana Football Association's (GFA) Sports Development Officer, has observed that, the five-year Soccer Development Plan of the GFA, if successful, would eliminate "corruption" in the selection of players for the national teams.

He told the GNA Sports in Koforidua at the end of a week's workshop for the training of referees, coaches and soccer administrators under the Five-Year GFA Soccer Development plan on Saturday that the plan is a sure way of removing all bottlenecks in the selection of players into the national teams.


Mr. Dasoberi explained that, under the programme, players would be selected for the regional under-12, under-15, under-17 and under-20 teams whom regional soccer development coaches would groom.


He said during holidays, each region would be expected to select five best footballers in each group for a national school of excellence programme where the boys would be under the instruction of national coaches for a period.


After the camping, Mr. Dasoberi said, the players would be sent back to their regions with a report on each player's performance and areas for improvement.


The former head of the Winneba Sports College said the national teams for each year group, would be selected from those players who participate in the national "schools of excellence".


He said the Regional Soccer Development Officers would also be expected to go to the districts to select players to form the district teams and play inter-district matches for the selection into the regional teams.

Mr Dasoberi explained that such exercises would widen the net for the selection of players into the national teams adding that emphasises would be placed on correct ages of players.


He said he was of the opinion that if Ghanaians would be patient and give the plan the needed support, it could turn the soccer fortunes of the country around and Ghana would reposition herself as a soccer giant on the continent.


He disclosed that, the first phase of implementing the plan would cost the GFA 1.2 billion cedis.


In all, 84 participants took part in the one-week course including 32 for soccer administration, 40 for coaching and 12 for refereeing.


Among the resource persons were Former caretaker coach of the Black Stars, Emmanuel Kwesi Afranie, Mr. Osam Dodoo, Technical Director of the GFA and Mr. Kuku Dadzie, a soccer and Mr. K. Agbovi, CAF Referee Instructor.