NIGERIA’s forward Osaze Odemwingie has warned the rest of the tournament that his team means business after its “miracle” qualification.
The Super Eagles beat Benin 2-0 while Ivory Coast defeated Mali, making Nigeria scrape through the last eight and a quarter-final meeting with Ghana.
"We asked for something of a miracle and it happened," said Odemwingie, who is suspended for Sunday's match.
"We showed great mental strength. Rule us out at your own risk."
The victory for Nigeria sparked scenes of celebrations in the Super Eagles camp as the West African nation avoided elimination at the group stage for the first time since 1982.
Odemiwingie, 27, had an excellent game against the Squirrels, setting up John Obi Mikel for the opening goal.
Yakubu Aiyegbeni made the result safe for Nigeria five minutes from time — and with Ivory Coast comfortably defeating Mali, the Super Eagles finished second in Group B on goal difference.
We are now up against the host team, and if we want to progress in this competition, we will have to beat them as well," added Odemwingie.
Didier Drogba got his name on the score sheet as Ivory Coast won their third straight game.
The heavily fancied Elephants will now play Guinea for a place in the semi-finals, but the Chelsea striker is refusing to talk up his team's chances of winning the tournament.
When asked about the prospects of the Ivorians improving on their status as beaten finalists in 2006, Drogba said: "Be careful — football is very strange.
"I hope we can keep it very simple, not speak too much and do it on the pitch.
"It is another tournament that is starting now. Two years ago was two years ago - this is a new competition and we have different players. I hope we go on to win it, but now it is a series of knockout games” — BBC.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
OLISEH FEARS FOR NIGERIA ...Says Super Eagles lack real leader to push them forward
A FORMER captain of the Super Eagles, Sunday Oliseh, has admitted that the upcoming quarter-final showdown against the Ghana Black Stars “will be difficult in many respects for the Nigerians”.
Speaking on the BBC moments after the Nigerians beat Benin 2—0 to book a place in the quarter-final round, Oliseh said: “It's going to be difficult, because Ghana were pretty impressive on Monday against Morocco. I was very impressed with Essien who seemed to cover every part of the pitch and he really showed why he is Africa's player of the moment.
“But there are two kinds of players; there are those who go out on the pitch and don't play well because they are afraid of what might happen if they lose.
“And then there is the type of player who says, ‘Finally, this is the time to show people how good I am. I hope my countrymen will think of the second option”.
Oliseh, who captained Nigeria to win the cup in 1994, was happy that the Super Eagles made it to the second round.
“I know how significant it would have been failing to qualify for the quarter-finals at the Africa Cup of Nations, especially as we didn't qualify for the World Cup two years ago.
“It was more than important. After the game, you could see the players together rejoicing and jumping around because it was such a relief for them.
“I'm not sure the victory will be a spark for Nigeria to go on and win the tournament, but I hope it will be.
“We are playing our eternal rivals, Ghana, in the next round and this game could yet ignite the team. What will certainly help is if the players could remove the pressure of history from their heads.
“They have a problem dealing with the past glories of the national team. The heights that my generation scaled are very hard to replicate. We won the Nations Cup, we reached another final and we dominated African football.
“They have to realise they have to write their own story and forget about the past.
“The national team is also lacking a real leader to push them on, the way you see Didier Drogba for Ivory Coast or Michael Essien for Ghana. Every team has to have one and luckily we saw John Obi Mikel do some of that against Benin. I just hope he can continue.
“I was younger than him when I became a leader for the national team.
“Leadership is something which people are either born with or have to learn. I think Mikel has to learn to be more imposing in the team.
“Whether this victory saved Berti Vogts, I don't know - that will be down to what happens in the Ghana game, because if we don't get a good result against the Black Stars, it will still be seen as a negative tournament.
“It would be the first time since 1982 that we didn't make it as far as the semi-finals.
“Nigeria is a very special country. We are the most populated African nation in the world with 130 million people, so it's normal that you are under pressure as the coach of the national team.
“In 1994 before we played the Nations Cup which we won in Tunisia, I was a young up-and-coming player when we played Ghana in our last friendly before the tournament.
“I played so well that people said, 'if he can play like that against Ghana, he doesn't have a problem any more. He must be a regular'. That tells you how big this game is against Ghana on Sunday.
“Much of the match is down to the coach to make it clear to the players that there is no pressure. Vogts has more psychological work to do, because it is too late to start talking about tactics now”.
Speaking on the BBC moments after the Nigerians beat Benin 2—0 to book a place in the quarter-final round, Oliseh said: “It's going to be difficult, because Ghana were pretty impressive on Monday against Morocco. I was very impressed with Essien who seemed to cover every part of the pitch and he really showed why he is Africa's player of the moment.
“But there are two kinds of players; there are those who go out on the pitch and don't play well because they are afraid of what might happen if they lose.
“And then there is the type of player who says, ‘Finally, this is the time to show people how good I am. I hope my countrymen will think of the second option”.
Oliseh, who captained Nigeria to win the cup in 1994, was happy that the Super Eagles made it to the second round.
“I know how significant it would have been failing to qualify for the quarter-finals at the Africa Cup of Nations, especially as we didn't qualify for the World Cup two years ago.
“It was more than important. After the game, you could see the players together rejoicing and jumping around because it was such a relief for them.
“I'm not sure the victory will be a spark for Nigeria to go on and win the tournament, but I hope it will be.
“We are playing our eternal rivals, Ghana, in the next round and this game could yet ignite the team. What will certainly help is if the players could remove the pressure of history from their heads.
“They have a problem dealing with the past glories of the national team. The heights that my generation scaled are very hard to replicate. We won the Nations Cup, we reached another final and we dominated African football.
“They have to realise they have to write their own story and forget about the past.
“The national team is also lacking a real leader to push them on, the way you see Didier Drogba for Ivory Coast or Michael Essien for Ghana. Every team has to have one and luckily we saw John Obi Mikel do some of that against Benin. I just hope he can continue.
“I was younger than him when I became a leader for the national team.
“Leadership is something which people are either born with or have to learn. I think Mikel has to learn to be more imposing in the team.
“Whether this victory saved Berti Vogts, I don't know - that will be down to what happens in the Ghana game, because if we don't get a good result against the Black Stars, it will still be seen as a negative tournament.
“It would be the first time since 1982 that we didn't make it as far as the semi-finals.
“Nigeria is a very special country. We are the most populated African nation in the world with 130 million people, so it's normal that you are under pressure as the coach of the national team.
“In 1994 before we played the Nations Cup which we won in Tunisia, I was a young up-and-coming player when we played Ghana in our last friendly before the tournament.
“I played so well that people said, 'if he can play like that against Ghana, he doesn't have a problem any more. He must be a regular'. That tells you how big this game is against Ghana on Sunday.
“Much of the match is down to the coach to make it clear to the players that there is no pressure. Vogts has more psychological work to do, because it is too late to start talking about tactics now”.
ENGLISH CLUBS LEFT DRY ...By the absence of 36 top African stars
THE Premier League's dressing rooms became quieter places this week after almost 40 players left their clubs for Ghana and the African Cup of Nations, a tournament that ignites national pride but also sparks despair in managers who find themselves short of players. David Moyes and Sam Allardyce have led the now common calls for the competition, which kicks off in January to be moved to the summer. Their protests are not surprising: between them, Everton and Newcastle will lose seven players this month.
The Nigerian Football Association gave Yakubu Ayegbeni permission to play in Everton's Carling Cup semi-final tie at Chelsea but there was no such dispensation for Steven Pienaar who was told by South Africa to ignore his club manager's demands and join up with the squad immediately. Moyes's desire to keep players for as long as possible is borne out of past experiences; he knows the effect a new year exodus can have.
In January 2004, he lost Joseph Yobo to the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia. The Nigerian was a regular in Everton's defence and without him the side lost four league games, including a 4-3 reverse to Manchester United and a 3-0 loss to Birmingham. Everton had only conceded three or more goals in three of their 29 previous matches that season, without Yobo, and they did it twice in five days.
Yobo's return stabilised a side that was close to being relegated, they lost just once in their next nine games, kept three clean sheets and managed to stay in the division by just six points. Had the African Cup of Nations been longer, or Nigeria progressed further than the semi-finals, Everton could now be in the Championship.
Allardyce's despair is also based on past experiences. As the manager of Bolton, he lost four players to the 2006 tournament, held in Egypt, including El Hadji Diouf. The Senegal forward's departure coincided with the club's Uefa Cup tie at home to Marseille. They drew 0-0 before losing the second leg 2-1, a result that ended their first European campaign. Diouf also aggravated a hernia in Egypt, which meant he could not play again until late April. Bolton failed to qualify for Europe that season by seven points.
Diouf could have been an important source of goals then and could be even more so now should the club, as expected, sell Nicolas Anelka to Chelsea. But Diouf will be on international duty again and Senegal's gain could prove to be Bolton's ruin. They are only three points off the relegation zone and the loss of two regular strikers this month could see them slide into the bottom three.
"The African Cup of Nations is never going to move. It makes life difficult for Premier League clubs because more teams are taking more players from Africa," Allardyce said last week. "I don't think FIFA will contemplate shifting the tournament because it is such a big thing for the African boys and it's when they want it."
The African Cup of Nations, being held for the 26th time this year, is held in January through necessity. Most grounds in the continent do not have floodlights meaning matches have to be played during the day, impossible during the searing heat of June and July across much of the continent.
There is an obvious retort to managers who complain about scheduling: stop buying African players. According to a Uefa survey, 204 African players were playing in Europe in 2006, 24 in England. That figure surged to 40 last year and the success of the likes of Didier Drogba at Chelsea and Kolo Touré at Arsenal will only see more arrive. As Joe Jordan, Ports- mouth's assistant manager, said as his club lost four players to this year's Cup of Nations, "We're signing players from Africa because of their ability and that outweighs the handicap of losing them for a few weeks."
The African Cup of Nations' effect on the Premier League title race has been negligible and this is perhaps why Arsène Wenger remains calm despite Arsenal regularly seeing a January exodus.
The Gunners lost two players, Nwankwo Kanu and Lauren, in 2002 yet still won the championship, beating Liverpool, who lost no one, into second place. Arsenal's invincibles then stormed to the title in 2004 despite losing Kanu again. Touré and Emmanuel Eboué missed matches at the start of 2006 but so did Drogba and Chelsea still won their second consecutive title.
"I consider the players who go away to be injured," Wenger said. "The day they return, they are no longer injured and I put them back in my team."
The price of going
Rigobert Song's departure to the African Cup of Nations in 2000, which was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, was the start of the end of his Liverpool career. The Cameroon captain competed with Sami Hyypia for a place in the centre of defence before the tournament but played only four more times in the league that season after he returned. He lost his place to Stéphane Henchoz, who went on to form a formidable partnership with Hyypia over the next few seasons.
Frédéric Kanouté's participation in the 2004 African Cup of Nations gave Jermain Defoe the chance to establish himself in the Tottenham side. Defoe scored four goals in three games while Kanouté was away and Kanouté lost his place as a regular and joined Sevilla in May 2005, still angry that Spurs had tried to stop him competing in the tournament. The former France Under-21 international had registered with Mali just beforehand, which went down badly with club officials.
THE MEN IN GHANA
Arsenal: Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Eboué (Ivory Coast), Alexandre Song (Cameroon)
Birmingham:: Richard Kingson (Ghana), Mehdi Nafti and Radhi Jaidi (Tunisia)
Blackburn: Aaron Mokoena (South Africa)
Bolton: El Hadji Diouf (Senegal), Abdoulaye Méïté (Ivory Coast)
Chelsea: Mikel John Obi (Nigeria), Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana)
Everton: Joseph Yobo and Yakubu Ayegbeni (Nigeria), Steven Pienaar (South Africa)
Liverpool: Nabil El Zhar (Morocco), Mohamed Sissoko (Mali)
Middlesbrough: Mohamed Shawky (Egypt)
Newcastle: Obafemi Martins (Nigeria), Geremi (Cameroon), Abdoulaye Faye and Habib Beye (Senegal)
Portsmouth: Pape Bouba Diop (Senegal), Nwankwo Kanu and John Utaka (Nigeria), Sulley Muntari (Ghana)
Reading: André Bikey (Cameroon), Emerse Faé (Ivory Coast), Ibrahima Sonko (Senegal)
Sunderland: Dickson Etuhu (Nigeria)
Tottenham: Didier Zokora (Ivory Coast)
West Ham: John Pantsil (Ghana), Henri Camara (Senegal)
Wigan: Salomon Olembe (Cameroon), Julius Aghahowa (Nigeria)
The Nigerian Football Association gave Yakubu Ayegbeni permission to play in Everton's Carling Cup semi-final tie at Chelsea but there was no such dispensation for Steven Pienaar who was told by South Africa to ignore his club manager's demands and join up with the squad immediately. Moyes's desire to keep players for as long as possible is borne out of past experiences; he knows the effect a new year exodus can have.
In January 2004, he lost Joseph Yobo to the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia. The Nigerian was a regular in Everton's defence and without him the side lost four league games, including a 4-3 reverse to Manchester United and a 3-0 loss to Birmingham. Everton had only conceded three or more goals in three of their 29 previous matches that season, without Yobo, and they did it twice in five days.
Yobo's return stabilised a side that was close to being relegated, they lost just once in their next nine games, kept three clean sheets and managed to stay in the division by just six points. Had the African Cup of Nations been longer, or Nigeria progressed further than the semi-finals, Everton could now be in the Championship.
Allardyce's despair is also based on past experiences. As the manager of Bolton, he lost four players to the 2006 tournament, held in Egypt, including El Hadji Diouf. The Senegal forward's departure coincided with the club's Uefa Cup tie at home to Marseille. They drew 0-0 before losing the second leg 2-1, a result that ended their first European campaign. Diouf also aggravated a hernia in Egypt, which meant he could not play again until late April. Bolton failed to qualify for Europe that season by seven points.
Diouf could have been an important source of goals then and could be even more so now should the club, as expected, sell Nicolas Anelka to Chelsea. But Diouf will be on international duty again and Senegal's gain could prove to be Bolton's ruin. They are only three points off the relegation zone and the loss of two regular strikers this month could see them slide into the bottom three.
"The African Cup of Nations is never going to move. It makes life difficult for Premier League clubs because more teams are taking more players from Africa," Allardyce said last week. "I don't think FIFA will contemplate shifting the tournament because it is such a big thing for the African boys and it's when they want it."
The African Cup of Nations, being held for the 26th time this year, is held in January through necessity. Most grounds in the continent do not have floodlights meaning matches have to be played during the day, impossible during the searing heat of June and July across much of the continent.
There is an obvious retort to managers who complain about scheduling: stop buying African players. According to a Uefa survey, 204 African players were playing in Europe in 2006, 24 in England. That figure surged to 40 last year and the success of the likes of Didier Drogba at Chelsea and Kolo Touré at Arsenal will only see more arrive. As Joe Jordan, Ports- mouth's assistant manager, said as his club lost four players to this year's Cup of Nations, "We're signing players from Africa because of their ability and that outweighs the handicap of losing them for a few weeks."
The African Cup of Nations' effect on the Premier League title race has been negligible and this is perhaps why Arsène Wenger remains calm despite Arsenal regularly seeing a January exodus.
The Gunners lost two players, Nwankwo Kanu and Lauren, in 2002 yet still won the championship, beating Liverpool, who lost no one, into second place. Arsenal's invincibles then stormed to the title in 2004 despite losing Kanu again. Touré and Emmanuel Eboué missed matches at the start of 2006 but so did Drogba and Chelsea still won their second consecutive title.
"I consider the players who go away to be injured," Wenger said. "The day they return, they are no longer injured and I put them back in my team."
The price of going
Rigobert Song's departure to the African Cup of Nations in 2000, which was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, was the start of the end of his Liverpool career. The Cameroon captain competed with Sami Hyypia for a place in the centre of defence before the tournament but played only four more times in the league that season after he returned. He lost his place to Stéphane Henchoz, who went on to form a formidable partnership with Hyypia over the next few seasons.
Frédéric Kanouté's participation in the 2004 African Cup of Nations gave Jermain Defoe the chance to establish himself in the Tottenham side. Defoe scored four goals in three games while Kanouté was away and Kanouté lost his place as a regular and joined Sevilla in May 2005, still angry that Spurs had tried to stop him competing in the tournament. The former France Under-21 international had registered with Mali just beforehand, which went down badly with club officials.
THE MEN IN GHANA
Arsenal: Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Eboué (Ivory Coast), Alexandre Song (Cameroon)
Birmingham:: Richard Kingson (Ghana), Mehdi Nafti and Radhi Jaidi (Tunisia)
Blackburn: Aaron Mokoena (South Africa)
Bolton: El Hadji Diouf (Senegal), Abdoulaye Méïté (Ivory Coast)
Chelsea: Mikel John Obi (Nigeria), Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana)
Everton: Joseph Yobo and Yakubu Ayegbeni (Nigeria), Steven Pienaar (South Africa)
Liverpool: Nabil El Zhar (Morocco), Mohamed Sissoko (Mali)
Middlesbrough: Mohamed Shawky (Egypt)
Newcastle: Obafemi Martins (Nigeria), Geremi (Cameroon), Abdoulaye Faye and Habib Beye (Senegal)
Portsmouth: Pape Bouba Diop (Senegal), Nwankwo Kanu and John Utaka (Nigeria), Sulley Muntari (Ghana)
Reading: André Bikey (Cameroon), Emerse Faé (Ivory Coast), Ibrahima Sonko (Senegal)
Sunderland: Dickson Etuhu (Nigeria)
Tottenham: Didier Zokora (Ivory Coast)
West Ham: John Pantsil (Ghana), Henri Camara (Senegal)
Wigan: Salomon Olembe (Cameroon), Julius Aghahowa (Nigeria)
SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICAN STARS HOTS UP ....As Ghana 2008 tournament enters knock-out stage
AT the end of the 19th Century, European countries, in what became known as the scramble for Africa, sought to carve up the continent between them.
In 2008, the scramble is to secure the continent's finest footballing talent.
The regard in which African players are now held by Premier League clubs is plain for all to see.
When Mali hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in 2002, England's top flight was stripped of just eight players.
Fast forward to the 2008 edition in Ghana and that figure has risen to a staggering 35.
And despite many a manager's criticism of the tournament's mid-season scheduling, it appears likely that the trend will only continue to grow.
BBC Sport understands that all but five Premier League clubs have sent scouts to the Nations Cup, not only to spot potential recruits for the here and now but, more importantly, for the future.
"We already know the players and I don't think any clubs of our calibre go there to sign a player — they should know who they want a long time before," said Chelsea's chief scout and head of youth development Frank Arnesen. "We are monitoring for the future."
Chelsea's four players competing at the Nations Cup — Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou and Jon Mikel Obi — were purchased from other European clubs at a total cost of more than £50m.
Part of Arnesen's job is to ensure the club secure the best possible talent at the best possible price.
If a club can identify and buy talent before African players make their name in the major European leagues, there are huge savings to be made.
But even if they have made a name for themselves, BBC Sport found a widespread belief in the Premier League that African players offer excellent value for money.
"Look at Habib Beye, whom we signed from Marseille for £2m," said Newcastle first-team coach Steve Round.
"For a full international of his pedigree and the amount of games he has played in Europe and the Champions League, to get an English player of the same pedigree could cost you in the region of £8m-£10m."
Just as important as the financial advantages are the physical and technical perk.
"One of the most significant changes to the Premier League over the past five years is how much the high intensity output has improved — it has gone up about 2.5km in the last five years, which is a colossal amount," added Round.
"That is partly due to better training methods and better athletes being produced but also because of the influx of a lot of these African players who, physically, are very good."
Tord Grip, a member of the Manchester City coaching staff under Sven-Goran Eriksson, added: "They seem to be well-suited to the style of play in the Premier League.
"African players are strong, athletic and good technically. You also find that they are very motivated, because they have come from a difficult and poor background."
Arnesen insists individuals from any background can make it to the top, but the Dane concedes the amount of football played by Africans as they grow up is key to their development, a point echoed by Damien Comolli.
"When you go to any country in Africa, people, especially kids, play football from eight in the morning until late at night," said Tottenham's sporting director.
"When you have millions of kids playing street football all day long, players will come through, exactly like in Brazil."
Scouting is a time-consuming and expensive business and BBC Sport has learned that one major Premier League club's scouting wage bill runs close to £1m.
If monitoring players in Europe is a difficult logistical exercise, it is even harder in Africa, given the sheer size of the continent - Nigeria's population alone is more than 130 million.
Arsenal, who have former player Gilles Grimandi scouting for them in Ghana, have had an advantage over many of their Premier League rivals because of manager Arsene Wenger's close relationship with compatriot Jean-Marc Guillou.
As well as giving Wenger his break in management - the two worked together at Cannes — Guillou helped set up an academy in the Cote d’Ivoire, run in co-operation with the local team ASEC of Abidjan.
Graduates of that Academy include Arsenal's Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, Chelsea's Kalou, and half the Ivory Coast 2006 World Cup squad.
"They are now well-coached because some of them are coming through various coaching systems or development centres that are producing quality players now," said Wigan assistant manager Eric Black.
“The indiscipline that was there maybe 10 years ago is disappearing. They're being coached by European coaches who are in Africa, or when they are at clubs in Europe.”
With players from just four Premier League clubs - Derby, Aston Villa and Manchester City and Wigan - not present in Ghana and the country awash with their scouts, England needs little convincing of Africa's worth.
• Additional reporting by Simon Austin, Russell Barder, Chris Bevan and Phil McNulty.
Credit: BBC
In 2008, the scramble is to secure the continent's finest footballing talent.
The regard in which African players are now held by Premier League clubs is plain for all to see.
When Mali hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in 2002, England's top flight was stripped of just eight players.
Fast forward to the 2008 edition in Ghana and that figure has risen to a staggering 35.
And despite many a manager's criticism of the tournament's mid-season scheduling, it appears likely that the trend will only continue to grow.
BBC Sport understands that all but five Premier League clubs have sent scouts to the Nations Cup, not only to spot potential recruits for the here and now but, more importantly, for the future.
"We already know the players and I don't think any clubs of our calibre go there to sign a player — they should know who they want a long time before," said Chelsea's chief scout and head of youth development Frank Arnesen. "We are monitoring for the future."
Chelsea's four players competing at the Nations Cup — Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou and Jon Mikel Obi — were purchased from other European clubs at a total cost of more than £50m.
Part of Arnesen's job is to ensure the club secure the best possible talent at the best possible price.
If a club can identify and buy talent before African players make their name in the major European leagues, there are huge savings to be made.
But even if they have made a name for themselves, BBC Sport found a widespread belief in the Premier League that African players offer excellent value for money.
"Look at Habib Beye, whom we signed from Marseille for £2m," said Newcastle first-team coach Steve Round.
"For a full international of his pedigree and the amount of games he has played in Europe and the Champions League, to get an English player of the same pedigree could cost you in the region of £8m-£10m."
Just as important as the financial advantages are the physical and technical perk.
"One of the most significant changes to the Premier League over the past five years is how much the high intensity output has improved — it has gone up about 2.5km in the last five years, which is a colossal amount," added Round.
"That is partly due to better training methods and better athletes being produced but also because of the influx of a lot of these African players who, physically, are very good."
Tord Grip, a member of the Manchester City coaching staff under Sven-Goran Eriksson, added: "They seem to be well-suited to the style of play in the Premier League.
"African players are strong, athletic and good technically. You also find that they are very motivated, because they have come from a difficult and poor background."
Arnesen insists individuals from any background can make it to the top, but the Dane concedes the amount of football played by Africans as they grow up is key to their development, a point echoed by Damien Comolli.
"When you go to any country in Africa, people, especially kids, play football from eight in the morning until late at night," said Tottenham's sporting director.
"When you have millions of kids playing street football all day long, players will come through, exactly like in Brazil."
Scouting is a time-consuming and expensive business and BBC Sport has learned that one major Premier League club's scouting wage bill runs close to £1m.
If monitoring players in Europe is a difficult logistical exercise, it is even harder in Africa, given the sheer size of the continent - Nigeria's population alone is more than 130 million.
Arsenal, who have former player Gilles Grimandi scouting for them in Ghana, have had an advantage over many of their Premier League rivals because of manager Arsene Wenger's close relationship with compatriot Jean-Marc Guillou.
As well as giving Wenger his break in management - the two worked together at Cannes — Guillou helped set up an academy in the Cote d’Ivoire, run in co-operation with the local team ASEC of Abidjan.
Graduates of that Academy include Arsenal's Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, Chelsea's Kalou, and half the Ivory Coast 2006 World Cup squad.
"They are now well-coached because some of them are coming through various coaching systems or development centres that are producing quality players now," said Wigan assistant manager Eric Black.
“The indiscipline that was there maybe 10 years ago is disappearing. They're being coached by European coaches who are in Africa, or when they are at clubs in Europe.”
With players from just four Premier League clubs - Derby, Aston Villa and Manchester City and Wigan - not present in Ghana and the country awash with their scouts, England needs little convincing of Africa's worth.
• Additional reporting by Simon Austin, Russell Barder, Chris Bevan and Phil McNulty.
Credit: BBC
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
AMAZING STARS ...Through to the quarter-finals (1a)
Story: Samuel Ebo Kwaitoo
Ghana's Black Stars yesterday revived the nation’s flagging spirits with a 24-carat display against the Atlas Lions of Morocco which guaranteed them a quarter-final berth and a special presidential bonus in the ongoing 26th Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
A 2-0 convincing victory, sealed and delivered before the break, to the satisfaction of the capacity crowd, propelled the Stars to the top of Group A with a clean record, while awaiting a last eight date with either Nigeria Mali or Cote d’Ivoire.
Apparently inspired by President Kufuor's visit to their camp a day before, the entire Ghana team put up a real championship performance throughout the game and walked out of the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium with honour and pride as the overjoyed fans applauded them ceaselessly.
The icing on the cake on that memorable occasion was the crowning of midfield general, Michael Essien, and skipper John Mensah as the Man of the Match and Fair Play Player award winner, respectively.
The result quickly wiped out from the memory of Ghanaians that agonising 1-0 defeat by Morocco which put paid to a successful title defence by Ghana in the 1980 Nations Cup won by Nigeria on home soil.
Playing in front of an expectant home crowd, the Stars, who were determined to impress after their dismal showing against Namibia , were 1-0 up by the 25th minute, courtesy Chelsea star Essien who played his best game yet for Ghana yesterday. Essien, who was a victim of rough play, dazzled the Moroccan defence with a quick dash to connect a Sulley Muntari free kick before goalkeeper Nadir Lamyaghri could react.
Before the thunderous cheers in the stands could die down, Sulley Muntari followed it up with another stunner a minute to recess, with Essien as the architect this time.
Before then, Asamoah Gyan, who acquitted himself so well and was only denied a goal by an enemy called ill-luck, had whetted the fans’ appetite for more with a great run and a shot which missed the upright by inches.
Though the Stars dominated the first half, the Moroccans, who relied on their usual fast breaks on the flanks, proved to be a threat to the Stars’ defence on many occasions, with Marouane Chamakh and Youssef Hadji leading the attack.
Though the Moroccans came from recess a rejuvenated side with the introduction of Tarik Sektioui in their attack, it was the Stars who continued their dominance in a thrilling half which the spectators enjoyed to the full.
The Stars again seized the midfield with a perfect Essien and young, promising Anthony Annan combination and anytime they decided to move, they did so in telepathy with Asamoah, Manuel Agogo, Quincy and Muntari like a symphony, to the delight of the fans.
No wonder Essien was stretchered off for the second time in the 65th minute, while the smallish Annan had a fair share of the knocks from the Moroccan hatchet men.
When the Ghanaians decided to go for another goal in a two-minute blitz in the 73rd and 74th minutes, Asamoah’s goal-bound header to an Agogo cross hit the mid-section of goalkeeper Lamyaghri coincidentally, while Essien’s unusual left-footer from the edge of the box was tipped to corner by the agile keeper.
When a beautiful bicycle kick from the highly-criticised Asamoah bounced off the crossbar seven minutes to the end, it became clear that he did not have a goal in the game and he, therefore, gave up the fight when he was stretchered off the game four minutes later, only to be replaced by his elder brother, Baffour Gyan.
Andre Ayew and Haminu Draman, who replaced Agogo and Quincy late in the game, hardly made any impact, and when Richard Kingson saved Hadji’s powerful shot in injury time, it became evident that the die was, indeed, cast for the Moroccans to bid goodbye to Ghana 2008.
Ghana: Richard Kingson, John Paintsil, Hans Adu Sarpei, Eric Addo, John Mensah, Anthony Annan, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie/Andre Ayew, Michael Essien, Asamoah Gyan/ Baffour Gyan, Manuel ‘Junior’ Agogo, Haminu Dramani and Sulley Muntari
Ghana's Black Stars yesterday revived the nation’s flagging spirits with a 24-carat display against the Atlas Lions of Morocco which guaranteed them a quarter-final berth and a special presidential bonus in the ongoing 26th Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
A 2-0 convincing victory, sealed and delivered before the break, to the satisfaction of the capacity crowd, propelled the Stars to the top of Group A with a clean record, while awaiting a last eight date with either Nigeria Mali or Cote d’Ivoire.
Apparently inspired by President Kufuor's visit to their camp a day before, the entire Ghana team put up a real championship performance throughout the game and walked out of the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium with honour and pride as the overjoyed fans applauded them ceaselessly.
The icing on the cake on that memorable occasion was the crowning of midfield general, Michael Essien, and skipper John Mensah as the Man of the Match and Fair Play Player award winner, respectively.
The result quickly wiped out from the memory of Ghanaians that agonising 1-0 defeat by Morocco which put paid to a successful title defence by Ghana in the 1980 Nations Cup won by Nigeria on home soil.
Playing in front of an expectant home crowd, the Stars, who were determined to impress after their dismal showing against Namibia , were 1-0 up by the 25th minute, courtesy Chelsea star Essien who played his best game yet for Ghana yesterday. Essien, who was a victim of rough play, dazzled the Moroccan defence with a quick dash to connect a Sulley Muntari free kick before goalkeeper Nadir Lamyaghri could react.
Before the thunderous cheers in the stands could die down, Sulley Muntari followed it up with another stunner a minute to recess, with Essien as the architect this time.
Before then, Asamoah Gyan, who acquitted himself so well and was only denied a goal by an enemy called ill-luck, had whetted the fans’ appetite for more with a great run and a shot which missed the upright by inches.
Though the Stars dominated the first half, the Moroccans, who relied on their usual fast breaks on the flanks, proved to be a threat to the Stars’ defence on many occasions, with Marouane Chamakh and Youssef Hadji leading the attack.
Though the Moroccans came from recess a rejuvenated side with the introduction of Tarik Sektioui in their attack, it was the Stars who continued their dominance in a thrilling half which the spectators enjoyed to the full.
The Stars again seized the midfield with a perfect Essien and young, promising Anthony Annan combination and anytime they decided to move, they did so in telepathy with Asamoah, Manuel Agogo, Quincy and Muntari like a symphony, to the delight of the fans.
No wonder Essien was stretchered off for the second time in the 65th minute, while the smallish Annan had a fair share of the knocks from the Moroccan hatchet men.
When the Ghanaians decided to go for another goal in a two-minute blitz in the 73rd and 74th minutes, Asamoah’s goal-bound header to an Agogo cross hit the mid-section of goalkeeper Lamyaghri coincidentally, while Essien’s unusual left-footer from the edge of the box was tipped to corner by the agile keeper.
When a beautiful bicycle kick from the highly-criticised Asamoah bounced off the crossbar seven minutes to the end, it became clear that he did not have a goal in the game and he, therefore, gave up the fight when he was stretchered off the game four minutes later, only to be replaced by his elder brother, Baffour Gyan.
Andre Ayew and Haminu Draman, who replaced Agogo and Quincy late in the game, hardly made any impact, and when Richard Kingson saved Hadji’s powerful shot in injury time, it became evident that the die was, indeed, cast for the Moroccans to bid goodbye to Ghana 2008.
Ghana: Richard Kingson, John Paintsil, Hans Adu Sarpei, Eric Addo, John Mensah, Anthony Annan, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie/Andre Ayew, Michael Essien, Asamoah Gyan/ Baffour Gyan, Manuel ‘Junior’ Agogo, Haminu Dramani and Sulley Muntari
Friday, January 18, 2008
TAMALE SET FOR GHANA 2008 (Page 20)
Story: Zakaria Alhassan, Tamale
TAMALE is set to host the Ghana 2008 African Cup of Nations tournament. The metropolis is one of the four host cities of the soccer fiesta and Group D teams - Senegal, Tunisia, Angola and South Africa – would be based there.
At the moment, work on the hostel facility for the competing teams, stadium, hospitality industry, security, health and sanitation are almost complete.
The GETFund 2008 Hostel, which would host the teams, is ready for occupation.
The 126-room three-star hotel has facilities that include 32 suites, offices for the CAF officials who would be based there and specially designed rooms for the physically challenged.
Other facilities at the hotel are a gymnasium fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, laundry, security features such as Closed Circuit Television(CCTv) cameras and an automatic switch-over standby generator.
The hotel is being managed by officials of Crystal Rose Hotel/Hostel Limited in Kumasi. According to the manager, Mr Akwasi Kumah, ‘‘we also have an ambulance and sick bay that includes a doctor’s room, as well as a 200-seater capacity cafeteria and a conference hall all attached.’’
He gave the assurance that with the recruitment of disciplined and professional staff, they were well prepared to offer the best of services to the players and officials during their period of their stay there.
Another significant development at the hotel is the tarring of the road leading to the facility. This issue had been of concern to many residents in the metropolis as the road generated a lot of dust, especially in the harmattan season.
Rehabilitation works at the Tamale airport are almost complete. When the Daily Graphic visited the place, the workers of Consar Limited, the contractors, were busily putting finishing touches to the terminal building, the VVIP Lounge, control tower and the generator house.
According to the site engineer, Mr Martin Addo, ‘‘we are very sure of meeting the deadline before the arrival of the various teams’’.
Work on the $38.5 million Tamale Stadium complex was also completed a couple of months ago. At the moment, various contractors are busy working even in the night to complete the external works before the first match between South Africa and Angola next week.
All three training pitches near the stadium, the Tamale Senior High School (TAMASCO) and the Northern School of Business (NOBISCO) are ready.
The 20,000-seater stadium is a masterpiece of aesthetic beauty and strategically located on a hill near the forest at the Education Ridge roundabout. It covers a site area of 26.834 hectares, about 22,517 square metres. Among the facilities at the ultra modern edifice are a 40-bedroom hostel, a VIP stand, a giant electronic score-board, a press box and dressing rooms and a luscious green turf that would be suitable for the exhibition of free-flowing football game.
Among the programmes lined-up for the opening game at the stadium and throughout the period the tournament would last are gymnastic displays and cultural performances.
Sources at the Tamale Venue Organising Committee indicated that an elaborate programme had been lined up for the entire period. They, however, declined to reveal what it entailed.
So far, the Northern Regional office of the Ghana Tourists Board has offered training to people in the hospitality industry, including hoteliers, bar and restaurant operators and taxi drivers in the metropolis.
The principal resource officer of the GTB in the region, Mr Alexander Kwame Nketia, said the trainees were taken through topics such as etiquette, mannerism, personal grooming, maintenance and hygiene and customer skills.
He said so far, the over 80 hotels and guest house facilities in the metropolis had more than 1,500 rooms. The officer added that several people had also registered their private homes to be used during the tournament.
A four-storey GETFund-sponsored hostel facility at the Tamale Polytechnic that can house more than 400 people has been completed for use by some of the visitors who would want to stay there.
Many taxi drivers in the metropolis are also preparing their cabs to attract patronage from visitors.
A 27-year old cabbie, Mr Iddrisu Musah, gave the assurance that ‘‘my colleagues and I are going to do our best to provide quality services to our brothers and sisters who would be coming. We are also going to dress decently and behave well towards our guests.’’
Commenting on the fare, he said, ‘‘we are going to charge the normal fares. After all, the people coming are our own African brothers and sisters.’’
On security, the police have established a Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) that has been equipped to withstand and combat violence and effectively control crowd in the metropolis during the tournament.
The Northern Regional Police Commander, Mr Ephraim Okoe Brakatu, said the setting up of the RDF would enable the personnel to deal with people in a ‘‘more professional and pragmatic way in this era of contemporary policing’’.
The 500 trainees of the RDF were taken through intervention and maintenance of order techniques, demonstrations, practical police duties, arrest, handcuffing, search, patrols and escorts. They would complement their colleagues to beef up security at the hotels, tournament venue and the metropolis in general.
The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, for his part, urged the personnel to step up their efforts in ensuring a successful tournament, stressing, ‘‘we want Tamale to stand out as a unique city before, during and after the games’’.
He also commended the security services for their immense contribution to the prevailing peace and unity in the region and said the area was very stable and ready to host the CAN 2008 tournament.
The Ghana Heath Service has also trained its staff in Tamale in the effective handling of emergency cases during the tournament. Among the areas touched on were cardio-respiratory emergencies, basic life support, bleeding, shock, head and spinal injury and mass casualty incident management.
The national co-ordinator of the programme, Dr Wilfred Addo, gave the assurance that the ‘‘GHS and its stakeholders are prepared to put in our best to ensure a successful tournament.’’
The Tamale Teaching Hospital and the West End Hospital at Zogbeli are the designated tournament health centres.
On sanitation, the Northern Regional Operations supervisor of Zoomlion, a waste management organisation, Prince Alhassan Baako, said his outfit had taken delivery of some sanitation equipment that included two water tankers and a road washer, to help them in their clean-up exercises during the tournament.
‘‘We have also beefed up our staff strength by employing 250 additional hands to help keep every nook and cranny of the metropolis, including the stadium, tidy at all times,’’ he added.
At the moment, the supervisor said, his outfit had, among other responsibilities, white washed the pavements along the principal streets of the metropolis.
TAMALE is set to host the Ghana 2008 African Cup of Nations tournament. The metropolis is one of the four host cities of the soccer fiesta and Group D teams - Senegal, Tunisia, Angola and South Africa – would be based there.
At the moment, work on the hostel facility for the competing teams, stadium, hospitality industry, security, health and sanitation are almost complete.
The GETFund 2008 Hostel, which would host the teams, is ready for occupation.
The 126-room three-star hotel has facilities that include 32 suites, offices for the CAF officials who would be based there and specially designed rooms for the physically challenged.
Other facilities at the hotel are a gymnasium fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, laundry, security features such as Closed Circuit Television(CCTv) cameras and an automatic switch-over standby generator.
The hotel is being managed by officials of Crystal Rose Hotel/Hostel Limited in Kumasi. According to the manager, Mr Akwasi Kumah, ‘‘we also have an ambulance and sick bay that includes a doctor’s room, as well as a 200-seater capacity cafeteria and a conference hall all attached.’’
He gave the assurance that with the recruitment of disciplined and professional staff, they were well prepared to offer the best of services to the players and officials during their period of their stay there.
Another significant development at the hotel is the tarring of the road leading to the facility. This issue had been of concern to many residents in the metropolis as the road generated a lot of dust, especially in the harmattan season.
Rehabilitation works at the Tamale airport are almost complete. When the Daily Graphic visited the place, the workers of Consar Limited, the contractors, were busily putting finishing touches to the terminal building, the VVIP Lounge, control tower and the generator house.
According to the site engineer, Mr Martin Addo, ‘‘we are very sure of meeting the deadline before the arrival of the various teams’’.
Work on the $38.5 million Tamale Stadium complex was also completed a couple of months ago. At the moment, various contractors are busy working even in the night to complete the external works before the first match between South Africa and Angola next week.
All three training pitches near the stadium, the Tamale Senior High School (TAMASCO) and the Northern School of Business (NOBISCO) are ready.
The 20,000-seater stadium is a masterpiece of aesthetic beauty and strategically located on a hill near the forest at the Education Ridge roundabout. It covers a site area of 26.834 hectares, about 22,517 square metres. Among the facilities at the ultra modern edifice are a 40-bedroom hostel, a VIP stand, a giant electronic score-board, a press box and dressing rooms and a luscious green turf that would be suitable for the exhibition of free-flowing football game.
Among the programmes lined-up for the opening game at the stadium and throughout the period the tournament would last are gymnastic displays and cultural performances.
Sources at the Tamale Venue Organising Committee indicated that an elaborate programme had been lined up for the entire period. They, however, declined to reveal what it entailed.
So far, the Northern Regional office of the Ghana Tourists Board has offered training to people in the hospitality industry, including hoteliers, bar and restaurant operators and taxi drivers in the metropolis.
The principal resource officer of the GTB in the region, Mr Alexander Kwame Nketia, said the trainees were taken through topics such as etiquette, mannerism, personal grooming, maintenance and hygiene and customer skills.
He said so far, the over 80 hotels and guest house facilities in the metropolis had more than 1,500 rooms. The officer added that several people had also registered their private homes to be used during the tournament.
A four-storey GETFund-sponsored hostel facility at the Tamale Polytechnic that can house more than 400 people has been completed for use by some of the visitors who would want to stay there.
Many taxi drivers in the metropolis are also preparing their cabs to attract patronage from visitors.
A 27-year old cabbie, Mr Iddrisu Musah, gave the assurance that ‘‘my colleagues and I are going to do our best to provide quality services to our brothers and sisters who would be coming. We are also going to dress decently and behave well towards our guests.’’
Commenting on the fare, he said, ‘‘we are going to charge the normal fares. After all, the people coming are our own African brothers and sisters.’’
On security, the police have established a Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) that has been equipped to withstand and combat violence and effectively control crowd in the metropolis during the tournament.
The Northern Regional Police Commander, Mr Ephraim Okoe Brakatu, said the setting up of the RDF would enable the personnel to deal with people in a ‘‘more professional and pragmatic way in this era of contemporary policing’’.
The 500 trainees of the RDF were taken through intervention and maintenance of order techniques, demonstrations, practical police duties, arrest, handcuffing, search, patrols and escorts. They would complement their colleagues to beef up security at the hotels, tournament venue and the metropolis in general.
The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, for his part, urged the personnel to step up their efforts in ensuring a successful tournament, stressing, ‘‘we want Tamale to stand out as a unique city before, during and after the games’’.
He also commended the security services for their immense contribution to the prevailing peace and unity in the region and said the area was very stable and ready to host the CAN 2008 tournament.
The Ghana Heath Service has also trained its staff in Tamale in the effective handling of emergency cases during the tournament. Among the areas touched on were cardio-respiratory emergencies, basic life support, bleeding, shock, head and spinal injury and mass casualty incident management.
The national co-ordinator of the programme, Dr Wilfred Addo, gave the assurance that the ‘‘GHS and its stakeholders are prepared to put in our best to ensure a successful tournament.’’
The Tamale Teaching Hospital and the West End Hospital at Zogbeli are the designated tournament health centres.
On sanitation, the Northern Regional Operations supervisor of Zoomlion, a waste management organisation, Prince Alhassan Baako, said his outfit had taken delivery of some sanitation equipment that included two water tankers and a road washer, to help them in their clean-up exercises during the tournament.
‘‘We have also beefed up our staff strength by employing 250 additional hands to help keep every nook and cranny of the metropolis, including the stadium, tidy at all times,’’ he added.
At the moment, the supervisor said, his outfit had, among other responsibilities, white washed the pavements along the principal streets of the metropolis.
NO SECURITY WORRIES (Page 29)
Story: Albert K. Salia & Mary Mensah
UNDOUBTEDLY, global attention is currently on Ghana. The land of gold, the abode of peace, the home of hospitality, the gateway to Africa and the country championing African excellence, is hosting 15 other countries in a biennial soccer fiesta.
The Ghana 2008 event is not just bringing in the 15 teams and their supporters, but is also drawing dignitaries, tourists and lovers of football across the world to Ghana in the January 20 to February 10, 2008 event.
Even without such events, criminal activities have often threatened the serene atmosphere of the country. And with large numbers of people coming in, some with varied aims, it is important that the security agencies rise up to the task to sustain the soaring image of Ghana and live up to the standards of the world football governing body, FIFA’s standards.
It is in that vein that the security agencies, led by the Ghana Police Service, have masterminded an operational strategy to ensure a peaceful and enjoyable Ghana 2008. The Ghana Police Service has re-structured its operational strategy from the routine law enforcement and keeping the peace to a proactive paradigm that calls for an increased police visibility and accessibility through day and night patrols with the view to preventing crime.
The strategy, known as the multi-agency approach, has been adopted as the security management style of the tournament. The ultimate objective of the strategy is to stem the tide in all violent crimes, especially armed robbery, reduce the fear of crime and to make all commuters safe.
To operationalise the multi-agency approach, the security agencies have already collected, collated, analysed and disseminated intelligence among themselves and continue to do same as and when the intelligence is made available.
Fortunately, the managers of Ghana 2008 security have involved the security officers of participating countries, stadium management staff, the National Ambulance Service, stewards and volunteers, ball boys and private security companies in their operations.
Under the strategy, the security agencies will be providing security for VVIPs and VIPS; providing security for the arrival and departure of match officials, teams, supporters, tourists and visitors coming from outside the country at all entry points and escorting match officials and players to their hotels.
Security is also to be provided at hotels, training pitches, the four stadia, venues of social activities and the site of the giant screen. General security for spectators during and after matches would be ensured while traffic management and day and night patrols at the four match centres would be carried out to ensure safety for all people.
Highway patrols on major routes to the four match centres would also be undertaken throughout the day and night to make the highways safe while contingency plans have been made to provide security services throughout the country to ensure a successful tournament.
For those who fear that criminals and other unscrupulous persons from other countries may have easy access to the country to perpetuate crime, the good news is that the International Police Organisation (Interpol) is sending an Interpol Major Event Support Team (IMEST) to support their Ghanaian counterparts before, during and after the tournament.
The IMEST will be based at all the entry and exit points of the country and equipped with state-of-the-art technology to help track down any criminal as well as traffickers of both human and other illegal commodities such as drugs and weapons. Another group of the IMEST team would also operate from the Security Command Room located at the Ohene Djan Stadium. An IMEST team would also join their counterparts from the Ghana Immigration Service and the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) to patrol all the entry points where they would be in close communication with the IMEST Control Rooms at the various stadia.
As part of the security management for the tournament, personnel of the various agencies, namely the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana National Fire Service, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), have undergone a lot of training, both local and abroad, to ensure the successful management of the security strategy for Ghana 2008.
In furtherance of their determination to enforce maximum security, the agencies have established a command structure at three levels to facilitate communication.
A Gold Control Room will be established at the Police Headquarters with the Director-General of Police Operations, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Patrick Timbillah as the Gold Commander.
The respective Regional Police Commanders for Accra, Ashanti, Western and Northern Regions have been designated Silver Commanders while the various divisional and district commanders under them would serve as Bronze Commanders. The Bronze Commanders will be supporting the Silver Commanders in discharging the various security responsibilities.
Their responsibilities include conducting searches on all spectators in the stadia to detect unauthorised materials and prohibited objects such as fire crackers, firearms, knives, narcotic drugs and alcoholic beverages.
The personnel would also be checking “ambush marketing” by non-accredited sponsors by any group of spectators especially supporters unions, both local and foreign.
The security agencies through their combined efforts, would also provide adequate security at all vantage points and at all the sites of large screen for the live show of the matches and co-ordinate with other stakeholders before, during and after the matches.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr P. K. Acheampong, admitted in an interview that the Ghana 2008 tournament would create more security challenges to the police.
He, however, assured the nation that with the comprehensive security management planning in place, supported by the series of training, both locally and abroad, the police would measure up adequately to the task and thereby ensure a successful tournament.
Mr Acheampong reminded the populace that security, peace and safety issues and concerns were no more the preserve of police organisations the world over.
He said policing or security issues were now a shared responsibility between the security services and the community.
“Against this background, therefore, the Police Administration wishes to appeal to all and sundry to see themselves as active stakeholders in providing security for themselves as well as the communities within which they live,” he said.
The Director-General of Operations, Mr Timbillah, appealed to all visiting teams, officials, supporters and tourists to endeavour to respect the laws of the country and not to hesitate to contact the police for any assistance or provide any useful information which would promote peace and a successful tournament.
He said the Sekondi venue was expected to pose the biggest security challenge relative to other match centres because the venue would be hosting next-door neighbours, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria.
Mr Timbillah said as a result, the Central Region had been drafted to support the security operations of Western Region while the Upper East and West regions would support the Northern Regional Command.
He said the other regions had been drafted to support the security operations of the venue nearest them.
He expressed the hope that Ghanaians would continue to display the legendary Ghanaian hospitality, generosity, care and love for the visitors and also cheer up the national team with a high level of decorum and respect the rule of law.
Mr Timbillah urged supporters to submit themselves to searches and desist from smuggling any unauthorised materials into the various stadia.
The acting Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Seth Oteng, has assured that the police in Kumasi would team up with other security apparatus to provide efficient and effective security to participating players, team officials and soccer fans who would be in Kumasi for the Ghana 2008 tournament to make the event memorable, George Ernest Asare reports from Kumasi
He told the Daily Graphic in an interview that as part of their efforts to enhance security in Kumasi, 500 policemen from the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) had been specially trained to build their skills to enable them offer effective protection to players, team to officials and spectators who would converge at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium for the Ghana 2008 soccer fiesta.
Elaborating on preparations made so far by the police to enhance adequate security at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium and other parts of the Kumasi Metropolis during the tournament, he said 200 others had also been trained to be in the stands to ensure that sanity prevails during matches.
Such policemen, he said, would be in mufti to prevent any form of identification by the soccer fans and potential troublemakers.
Mr Oteng said the stadium is well equipped with cells and other facilities that would make it possible for the police to arrest and detain anyone who attempts to cause trouble and create any chaos.
He said all the 27 entry points at the stadium would also be manned by policemen and women who would check soccer fans entering the stadium to prevent any form of ticket fraud, possession of offensive weapons and drugs, among others.
“Policemen who would ride on horses would also be at vantage points and streets to offer security to the public during the tournament.
Mr Oteng said they would also be at the training grounds and hotels of the players and team officials to create a serene atmosphere that would enable them to offer their best to make the tournament memorable.
“ We have tested our men and found that they are combat ready to offer the requisite protection that would create a serene atmosphere in Kumasi for the tournament to be very successful and memorable”, he added.
Michael Donkor reports that the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have mapped out strategies to support the Local Organising Committee of the Ghana 2008 soccer fiesta to make it a success. The GAF has divided its role among its three arms, namely the Ghana Army, the Navy and the Airforce.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview at Burma Camp in Accra, the Deputy Director of the Ghana Armed Forces Public Relations Unit, Lt. Col. Mbawuni Atintande, said the army would deploy troops at all the stadia and playing grounds where the participating teams would be training to ensure their safety.
He said the army would also provide escort for the officials of the tournament as they travelled across the country while operation “calm life” which seeks to clamp down on the activities of armed robbers would be intensified.
He said the Armed Forces Band would also play the national anthems of Ghana and other participating countries before and after the start of every match.
Lt. Col. Atintande said the 48 Engineers Regiment would display fireworks during the opening and closing ceremonies and the Recce Regiment would also provide horses, some of which would be used for dispersing crowds.
The army, he further stated, would provide medical personnel who would be on standby at all the stadia in case any medical emergencies arise.
He said it was only when the case was very serious and critical that the injured would be carried to the hospital.
Lt. Col. Atintande said the Air Force would provide air transport to carry any casualty to the hospital as well as give support to the army in maintaining security.
The Navy, he said, would also intensify its sea operations to ensure that criminals did not take advantage of the occasion to engage in nefarious activities at sea, while the naval personnel would patrol the territorial waters of the country constantly to ensure security.
He, therefore, called on the public to co-operate with the GAF to ensure that they had an incident-free tournament.
UNDOUBTEDLY, global attention is currently on Ghana. The land of gold, the abode of peace, the home of hospitality, the gateway to Africa and the country championing African excellence, is hosting 15 other countries in a biennial soccer fiesta.
The Ghana 2008 event is not just bringing in the 15 teams and their supporters, but is also drawing dignitaries, tourists and lovers of football across the world to Ghana in the January 20 to February 10, 2008 event.
Even without such events, criminal activities have often threatened the serene atmosphere of the country. And with large numbers of people coming in, some with varied aims, it is important that the security agencies rise up to the task to sustain the soaring image of Ghana and live up to the standards of the world football governing body, FIFA’s standards.
It is in that vein that the security agencies, led by the Ghana Police Service, have masterminded an operational strategy to ensure a peaceful and enjoyable Ghana 2008. The Ghana Police Service has re-structured its operational strategy from the routine law enforcement and keeping the peace to a proactive paradigm that calls for an increased police visibility and accessibility through day and night patrols with the view to preventing crime.
The strategy, known as the multi-agency approach, has been adopted as the security management style of the tournament. The ultimate objective of the strategy is to stem the tide in all violent crimes, especially armed robbery, reduce the fear of crime and to make all commuters safe.
To operationalise the multi-agency approach, the security agencies have already collected, collated, analysed and disseminated intelligence among themselves and continue to do same as and when the intelligence is made available.
Fortunately, the managers of Ghana 2008 security have involved the security officers of participating countries, stadium management staff, the National Ambulance Service, stewards and volunteers, ball boys and private security companies in their operations.
Under the strategy, the security agencies will be providing security for VVIPs and VIPS; providing security for the arrival and departure of match officials, teams, supporters, tourists and visitors coming from outside the country at all entry points and escorting match officials and players to their hotels.
Security is also to be provided at hotels, training pitches, the four stadia, venues of social activities and the site of the giant screen. General security for spectators during and after matches would be ensured while traffic management and day and night patrols at the four match centres would be carried out to ensure safety for all people.
Highway patrols on major routes to the four match centres would also be undertaken throughout the day and night to make the highways safe while contingency plans have been made to provide security services throughout the country to ensure a successful tournament.
For those who fear that criminals and other unscrupulous persons from other countries may have easy access to the country to perpetuate crime, the good news is that the International Police Organisation (Interpol) is sending an Interpol Major Event Support Team (IMEST) to support their Ghanaian counterparts before, during and after the tournament.
The IMEST will be based at all the entry and exit points of the country and equipped with state-of-the-art technology to help track down any criminal as well as traffickers of both human and other illegal commodities such as drugs and weapons. Another group of the IMEST team would also operate from the Security Command Room located at the Ohene Djan Stadium. An IMEST team would also join their counterparts from the Ghana Immigration Service and the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) to patrol all the entry points where they would be in close communication with the IMEST Control Rooms at the various stadia.
As part of the security management for the tournament, personnel of the various agencies, namely the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana National Fire Service, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), have undergone a lot of training, both local and abroad, to ensure the successful management of the security strategy for Ghana 2008.
In furtherance of their determination to enforce maximum security, the agencies have established a command structure at three levels to facilitate communication.
A Gold Control Room will be established at the Police Headquarters with the Director-General of Police Operations, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Patrick Timbillah as the Gold Commander.
The respective Regional Police Commanders for Accra, Ashanti, Western and Northern Regions have been designated Silver Commanders while the various divisional and district commanders under them would serve as Bronze Commanders. The Bronze Commanders will be supporting the Silver Commanders in discharging the various security responsibilities.
Their responsibilities include conducting searches on all spectators in the stadia to detect unauthorised materials and prohibited objects such as fire crackers, firearms, knives, narcotic drugs and alcoholic beverages.
The personnel would also be checking “ambush marketing” by non-accredited sponsors by any group of spectators especially supporters unions, both local and foreign.
The security agencies through their combined efforts, would also provide adequate security at all vantage points and at all the sites of large screen for the live show of the matches and co-ordinate with other stakeholders before, during and after the matches.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr P. K. Acheampong, admitted in an interview that the Ghana 2008 tournament would create more security challenges to the police.
He, however, assured the nation that with the comprehensive security management planning in place, supported by the series of training, both locally and abroad, the police would measure up adequately to the task and thereby ensure a successful tournament.
Mr Acheampong reminded the populace that security, peace and safety issues and concerns were no more the preserve of police organisations the world over.
He said policing or security issues were now a shared responsibility between the security services and the community.
“Against this background, therefore, the Police Administration wishes to appeal to all and sundry to see themselves as active stakeholders in providing security for themselves as well as the communities within which they live,” he said.
The Director-General of Operations, Mr Timbillah, appealed to all visiting teams, officials, supporters and tourists to endeavour to respect the laws of the country and not to hesitate to contact the police for any assistance or provide any useful information which would promote peace and a successful tournament.
He said the Sekondi venue was expected to pose the biggest security challenge relative to other match centres because the venue would be hosting next-door neighbours, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria.
Mr Timbillah said as a result, the Central Region had been drafted to support the security operations of Western Region while the Upper East and West regions would support the Northern Regional Command.
He said the other regions had been drafted to support the security operations of the venue nearest them.
He expressed the hope that Ghanaians would continue to display the legendary Ghanaian hospitality, generosity, care and love for the visitors and also cheer up the national team with a high level of decorum and respect the rule of law.
Mr Timbillah urged supporters to submit themselves to searches and desist from smuggling any unauthorised materials into the various stadia.
The acting Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Seth Oteng, has assured that the police in Kumasi would team up with other security apparatus to provide efficient and effective security to participating players, team officials and soccer fans who would be in Kumasi for the Ghana 2008 tournament to make the event memorable, George Ernest Asare reports from Kumasi
He told the Daily Graphic in an interview that as part of their efforts to enhance security in Kumasi, 500 policemen from the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) had been specially trained to build their skills to enable them offer effective protection to players, team to officials and spectators who would converge at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium for the Ghana 2008 soccer fiesta.
Elaborating on preparations made so far by the police to enhance adequate security at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium and other parts of the Kumasi Metropolis during the tournament, he said 200 others had also been trained to be in the stands to ensure that sanity prevails during matches.
Such policemen, he said, would be in mufti to prevent any form of identification by the soccer fans and potential troublemakers.
Mr Oteng said the stadium is well equipped with cells and other facilities that would make it possible for the police to arrest and detain anyone who attempts to cause trouble and create any chaos.
He said all the 27 entry points at the stadium would also be manned by policemen and women who would check soccer fans entering the stadium to prevent any form of ticket fraud, possession of offensive weapons and drugs, among others.
“Policemen who would ride on horses would also be at vantage points and streets to offer security to the public during the tournament.
Mr Oteng said they would also be at the training grounds and hotels of the players and team officials to create a serene atmosphere that would enable them to offer their best to make the tournament memorable.
“ We have tested our men and found that they are combat ready to offer the requisite protection that would create a serene atmosphere in Kumasi for the tournament to be very successful and memorable”, he added.
Michael Donkor reports that the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have mapped out strategies to support the Local Organising Committee of the Ghana 2008 soccer fiesta to make it a success. The GAF has divided its role among its three arms, namely the Ghana Army, the Navy and the Airforce.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview at Burma Camp in Accra, the Deputy Director of the Ghana Armed Forces Public Relations Unit, Lt. Col. Mbawuni Atintande, said the army would deploy troops at all the stadia and playing grounds where the participating teams would be training to ensure their safety.
He said the army would also provide escort for the officials of the tournament as they travelled across the country while operation “calm life” which seeks to clamp down on the activities of armed robbers would be intensified.
He said the Armed Forces Band would also play the national anthems of Ghana and other participating countries before and after the start of every match.
Lt. Col. Atintande said the 48 Engineers Regiment would display fireworks during the opening and closing ceremonies and the Recce Regiment would also provide horses, some of which would be used for dispersing crowds.
The army, he further stated, would provide medical personnel who would be on standby at all the stadia in case any medical emergencies arise.
He said it was only when the case was very serious and critical that the injured would be carried to the hospital.
Lt. Col. Atintande said the Air Force would provide air transport to carry any casualty to the hospital as well as give support to the army in maintaining security.
The Navy, he said, would also intensify its sea operations to ensure that criminals did not take advantage of the occasion to engage in nefarious activities at sea, while the naval personnel would patrol the territorial waters of the country constantly to ensure security.
He, therefore, called on the public to co-operate with the GAF to ensure that they had an incident-free tournament.
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