Osam Duodou named as black stars caretaker

GHANA (goalnetwork) -- Ghana have appointed Fred Osam Duodou as caretaker coach of the national team in succession to Italian Giuseppe Dossena, whose contract has expired.

This is not the first time Duodou has been called to hold a temporary role since he guided Ghana to their third African Nations Cup title at home 22 years ago.

His appointment comes just a week after the majority of a controversial 16-man panel voted not to renew Dossena’s contract.

Duodou was recalled to the technical staff, headed by the legendary Charles Kumi Gyamfi, to claim Ghana’s fourth African title in 1982. After a spell coaching clubs in Benin and Ivory Coast, Duodou returned home to help rescue the Black Stars after an eight-year absence in the Nations Cup.

He also won honours at youth level when the Under-20s clinched gold at the African championship seven years ago in Mauritius and then silver at the World Youth Cup in Australia.

Less than 24 hours after accepting the appointment, Osam Duodou had already set out his plans for the Black Stars.

As part of preparations to play Lesotho in the opening clash of the 2002 Nations Cup qualifiers in September, Osam is expected to take a largely home-based side to an international tournament in Malaysia in the next weeks.

The tournament will also serve as his first step towards drafting some of the top local players into a revamped Black Stars squad.

Osam has named two former national team skippers as his deputies - the captain of the triumphant 1978 squad, Abdul Karim Razak, and Isaac Paha, who played in the 1984 Nations Cup.

The GFA intends to name a foreign coach in December to continue with the World Cup campaign in which Ghana made a good start with a 5-0 win over Sierra Leone last month.