GFA slams Saif Rubie and Avram Grant

The Ghana Football Association has hit back at Saif Rubie,agent of Black Stars coach Avram Grant and over comments he he made to the BBC regarding the quality of the local league.

The statement among other things asks Mr.Rubie to "steer clear of football issues he does not understand" and also denied certain claims he made in the interview with the BBC.

The statement also takes a swipe at Grant himself over his continued absence from his duty post, stating "Players would be encouraged to stay longer to play in the country if our national team coaches pay more attention to our leagues. That is because they would know that their utmost desire of playing for the Ghana national team can also be achieved by playing in the country".

Read the full statement below.

Our attention has been drawn to an interview by Saif Rubie, the agent of Black Stars coach Avram Grant, claiming that the lack of talent in the First Capital Plus Premier League (FCPPL) is the reason why the trainer is unable to sit in Ghana to monitor players from the local league.

We wish to state emphatically that Mr. Rubie’s interview with the BBC over the long-absence of the coach from the country is riddled with factual inaccuracies, distortions and it is downright misleading.

In reality, the FCPPL and the lower tier leagues in Ghana are filled with hugely talented players and some have recently moved to play for top-flight sides in the top leagues of Europe.

Just two seasons ago Baba Abdul-Rahman played for Asante Kotoko in the FCPPL and just recently he signed to play for English Premier League side Chelsea, one of the top teams in the world. There are many of such examples.

While it is true that one of the challenges of the FCPPL is the exodus of players, the failure of our national team coaches in monitoring talents from the local leagues is even more corrosive. Players would be encouraged to stay longer to play in the country if our national team coaches pay more attention to our leagues. That is because they would know that their utmost desire of playing for the Ghana national team can also be achieved by playing in the country.

Mr Rubie also stated that Mr Grant has organised coaching clinics for Ghanaian coaches. This is false.

Mr Grant has made clear his intention of organising the clinics for Ghanaian coaches and has even held meetings with the League Managers Association (LMA) in England about sending resource persons for the clinic in Ghana but the course is yet to be held.

This clearly shows that Mr Rubie is far remote from the issues at hand and we would appreciate it if he steers clear from issues he doesn’t understand or has knowledge of. Mr Rubie acted only as an agent when the coach was being recruited and now that Mr Grant is an employee of the GFA, we will deal directly with him if there any issues. We believe we can amicably solve any differences if they arise.

The greatest asset any football federation has for the development of the game in its country is its league. And with the GFA investing in the league and paying more attention to its progress, we are investing in the success and future of Ghana football.

As a progressive football federation, the GFA is committed to paying more to attention our local leagues – to help strengthen our competitions to deliver the best sporting entertainment to people in Ghana while discovering talented players to ensure the long-term stability and a brighter future for our national teams.