Pay coaches of national teams to prevent bribery - Stephen Appiah

Former Black Stars captain Stephen Appiah is calling for youth national team coaches to be paid salaries to avoid being influenced in their call-ups.

The legendary midfielder believes the lack of wages for the coaches at the youth levels makes it easy for them to be engaged by agents and representatives of players.

"Such things happen. People do that at the U17 level, and I think we have to take these things very seriously. You have coaches who go to Pampram for four months, or six months, and they don’t take any salaries, only allowances. You have coaches for the Black Stars who are earning so much," he told the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sports.

"U17 coaches don’t take anything, U20 coaches don’t take anything, and U23 coaches don’t take anything. So if I’m a youth national team coach and I’m not receiving a salary and an agent offers me an envelope to invite his player, I will take it," he added.

He also offered a suggestion to solve the problem, claiming the coaches have to be placed on salaries to make them feel they are working for remuneration.

"I think we have to try and solve these problems and make the coaches feel okay. I am not saying the U17 coaches should take more than the senior national team coaches, but in a way, we have to make them feel they are working and have to make something out of it," continued Appiah.

"I think with your question, because some of them feel they are working and do not get anything, when people influence them with envelopes, they take it," concluded the former Black Stars captain.