Osam Duodu, Jones to Handle Stars ?

Sixty-year old Agona Swedru born Osam Duodu will soon be confirmed as head coach of the Black Stars, the senior national team, classified information has revealed and Coach Sir Cecil Jones Attuquayefio will be his deputy.

The appointments became possible when the GFA and Coach Rainer Bonhof, the German, failed to finally sign and seal the expected contractual agreement to enable the coach handle the senior national football team, the Black Stars.

GFA sources were tight-lipped on the reasons for the development. However, in -depth investigations have revealed that the GFA, hard as it tried, could not lay hands on funds to meet the German Coach's salary and other stipends. Mail Sports investigations further revealed that the government could also not assist the GFA financially.

Bonhof had insisted on fifteen thousand US dollars a month and other allowances and bonuses which the GFA could not afford. In the light of the fore- going, coupled with his impressive performance so far, cool guy Osam Duodu has been recommended for the job. My friend and 'brother' coach Osam Duodu was non- committal when contacted. As if by coincidence, any time Ghana's soccer boat is wrecked, the damage repair is handed to Coach Osam Duodu. Osam Duodu, a professional teacher obtained his teacher's certificate from the Wesley College in Kumasi.

He pursued another course at Winneba Specialist Training College where he specialised in coaching. After a two year fellowship at Brazil's Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, he had a stint at the European Football Association football coaching symposium and seminar for elite coaches in Portugal where he gained a diploma and also had a course for administrators and elite coaches in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Coach Osam Duodu is now a CAF instructor for local and external assignments. Osam Duodu handled the Black Stars in 1978, and 1979 to 1981 after Carlos Sampaio came back again to handle the Stars from 1988 to 1989, 1993 after Otto Pfister and he is at the same job today doing repair work.