Orlando Wellington gets Satellites job

By: Nii Ayi Tetteh

Head Coach of Kpando based Heart of Lions; Orlando Wellington has been appointed the new head of the technical team of National Under-20 male soccer team, the Black Satellite after deputising for now Rwanda national team Coach Sellas Tetteh last year.

Orlando Wellington was with the victorious Satellite team throughout their qualifiers ahead of their WAFU tournament in Nigeria, the African Youth Championship in Rwanda and later in Egypt where with Sellas Tetteh they guided the Satellites to conquer the world when they beat former champions Brazil on penalties to win the 2009 Fifa World Youth Championship.

During their campaign last year, Orlando Wellington occasionally assumed the duty of the head coach of the side during Sellas Tetteh’s short stint with the senior national football team, the Black Stars in their 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

For his immediate assignment, Coach Orlando Wellington will be leading a selected side of eighteen players to participate in an invitational tournament in South Africa next month.

The invitation tournament, Cape Town International Challenge tournament will see the Black Satellites competing against neighbours Nigeria, finalist at the World Youth Championship last year, Brazil and host South Africa in a competition to test the readiness of two of the stadia that will host the 2010 World Cup in June.

The competition has been scheduled to take place at the Newlands Stadium and the Cape Town Stadium from April 9th to April 11th 2010.

Just like they did in Egypt by clinching the World Youth Championship, Orlando Wellington believes the eighteen players selected will emulate the previous side by winning the four nation tourney.

According to him all players selected are in their peak and playing actively for their various clubs in the league, something that gives him hope of winning the South Africa tourney on his first assignment as head coach of the side. "Almost all eighteen players invited are playing active in the League and within the age group for this tournament.

After this assignment we will invite more players and also look outside the country where some players are eligible to play for Ghana," he said. Together with Chairman Jordan Anagbla, the team is scheduled to depart Ghana on April 7th 2010.

Squad: Goalkeepers: Akwesi Acheampong (Liberty Professionals), Ebenezer Mensah (Pure Joy FC), Defenders: Bright Addae (All Stars), Karim Alhassan (Hearts), Samuel Kyere (Chelsea of Bechem), Abdul Basit (Eleven Wise) Moro Ibrahim (RTU), Latif Mohammed (Great Olympics),

Midfielders: Aaron Amoah (New Edubiase FC), Nurudeen Ali (Aduana Stars), Frank Acheampong (King Faisal), Isaac Donkor (Liberty), Abdul Ganiyu (RTU) Ebo Andoh (King Faisal)

Strikers: Kwame Nsor (All Stars), Mohammed Sackey (Desert Warriors), Mohammed Alhassan (Gomoa Fetteh Feyenoord), Mahatma Otoo (Hearts),