Yankah fingers Preko's U-20 appointment

Accra, June 20, GNA - Former Accra Great Olympics coach, Walter Yankah has attributed the disappointing performance of the Black Satellites partly to the appointment of ex-Black Stars midfielder Yaw Preko as the deputy coach.

Preko deputized for Orlando Wellington at the tournament held in South Africa last month, which the Satellites, the defending champions and continental kings failed to progress past the group stage.

Speaking to the GNA Sports, Yankah said the inexperience of Preko served a major loophole in the team's bench and has yet to come to terms with the terms that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) handed him the appointment.

"In every team, you need a good assistant coach. When things get bad during a game, the assistant is expected to come with fresh ideas."

Preko, 36, has no coaching experience and only recently obtained his first coaching badge, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) License 91C'.

Coach Yankah inferred that Wellington, who deputized for Sellas Tetteh, now head coach of Rwanda during the last championship in Rwanda played an influential role in the team's fortunes thanks to his considerable technical knowledge.

"Look at Tetteh (Sellas) and Orlando, they did a good work. But in this case, we all saw what happened."

Without mentioning names, he poured out that one of the problems bedeviling the game was the recruitment of 'half baked' assistant coaches for the various national teams.

"The recruitment of assistant coaches is a major problem. I think the GFA should appoint knowledgeable assistant coaches."

Coach Yankah said an assistant coach must not be "anyone" but one who can perfectly fit into the shoes of the head coach in his absence. He has therefore tasked the GFA to critically review the recruitment of assistant coaches for the national teams as well as administrators of the various clubs nationwide.

The veteran sports administrator has served in various capacities at Great Olympics, Kpando Heart of Lions, Sekondi Eleven Wise and King Solomon.

He also had a stint with Togolese side AS Doaunes in 2003.