Bukhard's Future On the Agenda

Bukhard Ziese's future as Black Stars coach will become the subject of several meetings, beginning last Friday, as the Ghana Football Association prepares to take the most anticipated decision in Ghana football now.

The German arrived back in Accra from Kigali with the Black Stars on Wednesday evening and was met at the airport by heavily armed policemen who had stormed the airport with the view to prevent any trouble.

But the German did not look in any danger, going about the arrival formalities before he was whisked away by four policemen.

He also refused to answer any question from media men at the airport, saying he wanted to meet his employers first before granting any press interviews.

Eventually when those meetings commence today, Ziese will find that he has done little in his four-month stint as Ghana coach to win the confidence of his players.

Although FA chairman Ben Koufie insists that sacking the German will not solve the problems facing Ghana football, he does not hide what he thinks about the German's reign so far.

When I asked him whether what Ziese has delivered is what he and his management board bargained for, he said: "Not at all. I have not been impressed by the results and a number of things he has done.

But I said it is too early to start talking about that. I can give you an answer on his future after we have met as a management board of the football association with the coach". But Koufie, who himself has come in for some hard stick after the flop in Rwanda, says no one should assume dismissing the German is the easy way out.

There are issues about motivation, facilities, and a whole lot. If you sack the coach those problems won't go away. Ghana has hit a real low. We were last in a group that consisted of Rwanda and Uganda, which is very sad.

And we need to take dramatic decisions to get back to the top. We need to call a spade a spade and move forward but we won't take panic decisions.

"We must look at the contract and study a few issues before abrogating the contract of the coach." Koufie said.

Ziese, appointed Ghana coach in March this year, has not won a major match with the Black Stars to date.

But it is the loss in Rwanda that is threatening to ruin his otherwise fine reputation.

There has even been speculation in some sections of Ghana football that the players who refused to play for the Stars in Kigali did so in protest at what has been called the coach's poor human relations.

Ben Koufie says it is an allegation that has some credence. "I have heard that from some of the players.

They say the coach does not talk to them well and that he is insulting".

While admitting that the FA itself has not been up and doing all the time in making the national team attractive, he insisted it is not the main problem with the Black Stars.

It is true that we've not always done things well. But you will agree that lately the government is beginning to become more and more interested in that area. And let us face it, we can't provide everything.

Elsewhere, players don't get half what Ghanaian players get, but they still turn up to play.

A coach is very important in all this. If the players know they are reporting to camp to meet a father figure, then they will always be there.

We must also look closely at the example of Cameroon and Nigeria. Their players are always complaining about money. They are always demanding but they will report to camp, they will complain and then they will play to win."

Koufie wants Ghana to play to win as quickly as possible. He says friendly matches have been lined up for the team so that they forget about the Kigali tragedy as quickly as possible.

But there are those who think Koufie himself must go to save Ghana football. It doesn't look like he will go anytime soon.

"Quitting will be defeatist," he says. It seems, from everything Koufie has said, that sacking Bukhard will not be.