I am sure by now you would be wondering why I am writing an article with such a heading.
This is because there are times when a verbal analysis of issues result in more revelations coming to light, and no, I am not talking about the Presidential Commission of Enquiry.
I am talking about the drama surrounding the eventual sacking of Kwesi Appiah as Black Stars head coach. So much has been said about the situation, with the drama yet to end since Kwesi Appiah is yet to be given a letter of termination by his bosses.
To recap, Ghana Football Association President Kwesi Nyantakyi informed Appiah on Friday that he was being sacked because he stated in an interview that he never asked for a Technical Adviser and because certain players had expressed a loss of confidence in his capabilities.
Clarification of my stance
Before I go on, some have called me a hypocrite because I called for Appiah to be fired after the World Cup, but I am complaining that he has finally been sacked. So I will clarify my points.
I will stand by the comments I made when the team returned from Brazil and indeed I penned an open letter to Appiah; asking him to be fired or at the very least, resign from the position, because I do not believe that he is the man to take us forward.
At that time, he could have been sacked for non-performance because Ghana picked just one point out of nine in Brazil.
Instead, the GFA professed confidence in him on July 2; then six weeks later the GFA brings up talk of a technical adviser, then Appiah is issued with an ultimatum to beat Togo or risk losing his job.
He beats Togo and still loses the job. I have a big issue because for me the GFA has not been honest with Appiah at all and this begs the question of why the GFA is willing to pay compensation to Appiah now, when they could have done so with more basis after the World Cup.
Well, I really don’t mind what I am called for the articles I write because I have been called worse things, but that is not the reason for this piece.
What sparked the GFA nicodemously telling its side of the story?
I was on Peace FM on Monday morning and made my feelings known on the matter. Not long after the show finished, I received a call from a senior member of the GFA Executive Committee, who said he was calling to give me some information as to why Appiah was eventually fired.
He spoke on condition of anonymity and so I am going to tell the story he told me and leave readers to judge.
Fact is, for such a story, both sides need to be heard.
Origins of drama: to drink or not to drink ‘Milo’
Before the 2014 World Cup, Kwesi Appiah apparently told GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi that he wanted Milovan Rajevac on board as a technical adviser for the World Cup tournament.
According to the GFA Executive Committee member, whose integrity I can vouch for, Appiah called Milo many times as discussions went on, but eventually, Appiah was advised by some influential persons not to go in for it.
The former Black Stars captain suddenly stopped calling Milo and told Nyantakyi that he was no longer interested in taking Milo along to Brazil.
Appiah’s request – lost in translation?
After the World Cup in Brazil, Appiah met with the GFA Executive Committee to present his report and he informed them that he was grateful for the effort the GFA put in in getting him scouts and other members of his backroom staff for the tournament, adding that instead of such reinforcements arriving in time for tournaments, he would be happy if it became institutionalized in the Black Stars.
It must be stressed that he did not ask for a technical adviser after the World Cup per se, but I am informed that what he told the GFA Executive Committee was interpreted to mean that such a move by the GFA would be welcome.
So, eventually, when Nyantakyi called him to a meeting and informed him that the GFA was thinking of bringing in a technical adviser, Appiah was not averse to the suggestion, which informed the GFA’s decision to set up a three-man committee headed by GFA Vice President Fred Crentsil to search for the successful candidate.
Ben Koufie the only name submitted by Appiah
According to my informant, the names of Mas-Ud Dramani and Kim Grant did not get to the Committee, but Ben Koufie’s name was presented to the Committee.
In the end, out of the 16 names presented, four names were shortlisted by the Committee namely Milovan Rajevac, Flemming Serritslev, Antoine Hey and Ove Pedersen.
Appiah shortlists two and shows preference for drinking ‘Milo’
Appiah was asked to meet with the Search Committee and he was informed about the four names.
He was even given the liberty to choose from the remaining 12 names if he was dissatisfied with the four names presented.
Appiah returned the next day and informed the Committee that he had chosen Rajevac and Serritslev in that order as his top two candidates.
The Committee then told him to begin communication with the two shortlisted candidates so that he could choose who he wanted.
It was at that point that Appiah informed them that he had already began communicating with Milovan Rajevac.
Appiah’s answer deemed an act of rebellion by the GFA
My informant tells me that because of all this, and the fact that throughout the process, Appiah had not only been kept informed but had had input into decision taken, even if his own personal choice of Ben Koufie was rejected, the GFA was shocked when Appiah sought to clarify that he never asked for a Technical Adviser.
It was viewed by the GFA as a form of betrayal by Appiah and that culminated in the events that led to his sacking.
The truth about that Executive Committee meeting
According to my informant, an Executive Committee meeting took place on Thursday September 11 2014 at the GFA headquarters in the afternoon and indeed, Appiah’s future came up for discussion.
According to my informant, Cudjoe Fianoo is the only Executive Committee member who could say that he wasn’t aware because at the time the decision was taken, he was out of the room seeing to a visitor.
I am reliably informed that Randy Abbey was also not in the room when the decision was made to part ways with Appiah.
Nyantakyi then warned members of the Executive Committee not to leak the information because Appiah had not been informed.
Unfortunately for them, news broke later that afternoon that Appiah had been sacked whilst the former Ghana captain had no idea that this was the case.
As everyone knows now, Nyantakyi contacted Appiah later that night and met him the following day in his office to inform him about the decision.
Milo and Serritslev indicate interest in coaching Ghana
My informant also tells me that when both Milo and Serritslev were interviewed, both men each noted that should the coaching position become vacant, they would want to be considered for the role with others who might be interested.
€70,000-a-month demand by Milo clarified
Indeed, it was when one of the committee members asked Milo what he would take as salary if he became Black Stars head coach that the Serbian mentioned €70,000-a-month, but the matter was not pursued because those were interviews for the Technical Advisor job.
So this is the story I was told by the unnamed GFA Executive Committee member and even though I still think that the GFA has treated Kwesi Appiah unfairly and I still stand by my demand for every Black Stars management member to resign from their positions on that Committee, I am only doing what a good journalist would do by also presenting the GFA’s side of the story.
It is now up to readers to make informed judgements on the whole story, and with Appiah yet to receive his termination letter, this ‘Telenovela” entitled “The Sacking of Kwesi Appiah” is yet to end.
