Revaluate African Football - Dr Asafo-Adjei

Kumasi, June 25, GNA - A medical practitioner has expressed worry about the performance of African teams in the on-going FIFA World Cup championship in South Africa.

Dr Kwabena Asafo-Adjei said the crash out of almost all the teams representing the continent after the group matches, called for serious brainstorming exercise by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). All stakeholders need to come together to revaluate "our football" and find better ways of doing things to improve and bring efficiency into "our game."

South Africa, he said, should have served as a good platform for Africa to market its brand of football and prove its critics wrong that African football has come of age.

Dr Asafo-Adjei, who was a member of the Kumasi Venue Organizing Committee for the 2008 African Cup of Nations Tournament, was interacting with newsmen in Kumasi on Friday. Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria and Cote d'I Voire had all been kicked out, living the Black Stars of Ghana as Africa's sole representative in the prestigious tournament.

The Stars booked their ticket to the second round of the soccer fiesta on Wednesday after finishing second in Group D with four points. Germany topped the Group with six points. Dr Asafo-Adjei said the lack of mental strength and a sense of urgency, tactical indiscipline and loss of concentration were the major factors that accounted for the early exit of a majority of African countries. He urged the technical handlers to psyche the Stars up as they come up against more experienced opponents in the next round of the competition. 25 June 10