I'm not a player agent - Doya

Accra, Feb 7, GNA - In the face of flying allegations that head coach of the Black Stars, Ratomir "Doya" Djukovic is involved in player management and serves as agent for some, the Serbian has categorically denied his involvement in any of such deals.

This was after the media had posed a question to him over his involvement in player management, supported with an alleged text message the coach sent to officials of Kumasi Asante Kotoko to negotiate on their behalf for the sale of Issa Ahmed to a foreign club.


Coach Doya denied being behind the text message saying "I'm not a player agent or manager, I don't have licence from FIFA to operate as such, so I don't understand what people are saying".


"What I do is to recommend this or that player to a foreign club if he is good, but I have no direct involvement in the management and sale of players" Coach Doya as he is popularly called stated.


On another allegation that he is behind the sale of Haminu Dramani to Red Star Belgrade of Serbia Montenegro leading to the fielding of the player in the national team, coach Doya said "Go and ask Victor (referring to Heart of Lions chairman) the transactions that went on between him and the Serbian team and find out whether I was involved".


According to the coach, he did not invite any player to the national team, because he wanted to sell or manage him but their invitation was based on their performance.


"Issa Ahmed was the player of the year in 2005, Prince Tagoe was the nation's top scorer in the premiership therefore they deserve places in the team". Coach Doya stated.

He said that the decision to use young players in the tournament is an attempt to invest in the future of the Black Stars.


"These are players who hold the future of the nation therefore I felt they should be given the exposure and the platform to excel on the international scene.


On the mode of selection, coach Doya conceded that the outright selection of 23 players did not help the team, but added that more players will be invited to justify their inclusion in the team before the World Cup.


Meanwhile Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has said that the coach will remain at post for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.


He said the Executive Committee of the GFA has reviewed the performance of the coach and a lot of factors seem to have contributed to the failure of the team to perform creditably at the Nations Cup.