AFESEH NGWA: Why foreigners must not coach national teams!

By Afeseh Ngwa Hilary

I think it is disgraceful that for a world cup on African soil, only one African coach is participating in the event i.e the coach of Algeria. We have something to learn from the North African teams. If anybody is looking for the reason why African countries must take a serious look at what success in the game of football really means, see the video below.



See how the Serbian coach of Ghana Milovan Rajevac is tortured and finds it impossible to rejoice, at least in public after Ghana beat Serbia in their opening match of the world cup 2010. I was actually going to write "his team' before I quickly realized how ambiguous that would be... is his team the Serbian or Ghanaian national side??? Inasmuch as I think Milovan did a good job as coach of Ghana, the cold shrug he gave his team (Ghanaian side) and the melancholy he carried on his face like bad make up, after such a major victory, insults the people of Ghana and all Africans who were rejoicing following this momentous victory.

He unnecessarily dampened the joy in the team, joy which such a win should naturally court... He should apologize... yet I understand how a part of him could feel betrayal for helping unleash the arrow from the bow which nailed his brothers and dashed the hopes to win of all the countrymen/women from the land of his birth against the rocks. It was clear today that even though a small part of him wanted Ghana to win because that is what he is paid to do, his far from professional emotional reaction at the end of the game tells us a bigger part of him wished to see Serbia win... I wonder what his reaction would have been if Serbia won... a draw would have been perfect maybe, a situation which will release him from the hard place and the rock in which he found himself.

I am sure that Milovan is not alone in what he went through... others in his shoes would struggle... I propose that when it comes to national teams, FIFA should pass a law which ensures that nobody can coach a team for which they are not nationals. In that way we can begin to ensure that the focus on the success of a football nation is not just on the players but holistic, spanning coaches, management and players. It is a foregone conclusion that a good team needs good management, good players and good coaches, and so does a great football nation. This will spare people like Milovan the heart wrenching dilemma of 'fighting' against your own people.

Hilary Afeseh Ngwa is a graduate student in Toxicology at Iowa State University from Cameroon.

SIKANKU: Re-branding Ghana’s World Cup jersey: Kente or kokonte ne nkatenkwan?

This summer, Ghana will make her second appearance at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. While most discussions will be about soccer skills, and understandably so, this event presents a rare branding opportunity for the country. The jury is still out on whether or not we’re likely to win the coveted cup but lately I’ve been thinking about other ways Ghana can make the most of this golden opportunity.

Why has a country with such a rich cultural tradition been so mediocre when it comes to our national jerseys?

Year after year we experiment and toss out an array of kits which are hardly unique. The all- white jersey is just too common at both club and national levels-so much so that it smacks of a lack of imagination by the GFA. The all-gold jersey had a tinge of identity but there was always something colonial about it. It reminds me of our colonial name, the Gold Coast. Then, there’s the recently adopted all-red which is simply unbearable to watch. There’s just nothing Ghanaian about it.

At the risk of belaboring the point, soccer is more than just a game. Those who know more about branding than I do say sporting events have always been a gold mine for image building. And, national jerseys have always evoked some level of passion among supporters.

If so, why have we been reluctant to adopt the Kente design as our preferred brand for the national kit? I’m sure this argument has been made somewhere before, but I’m not sure where and what became of it.

Admittedly, Kente is Ghana’s de facto national cloth. Presidents wear it during important events such as inauguration day. For Ghanaians abroad, one of the highlights of their sojourn is the day they’re able to wear any Ghanaian clothing, particularly the Kente to (say) an African Association night or a Ghanaian association event. In short, there’s not a more authoritatively Ghanaian clothing brand than the rich Kente fabric.

However, if Kente is deemed to be ethnically restrictive and not nationally representative, there’s my personal favorite: the light brown top and deep brown shorts from our primary school days. I’m talking about the famous and affectionately christened kokonte ne abenkwan. Label me a sentimental wreck, but whenever I see that uniform I get goose bumps. I really don’t know why, but there’s some spirit and great nostalgia to that attire. Exactly what we need in a national jersey: emotion, subtlety and passion.

Let no one be mistaken about the domino effects from both designs. Kente is culturally rich and will spark of a snow-ball effect in terms of tourism and merchandising. Those talented folks at Bonwire have perfected a skill that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world.

The kokonte ne nkatekwan has so much history and memory that it will fuel a mixed sense of urgency, ambition and sacrifice among both players and supporters; just like it did in the primary school days of yesteryear.

Ghana may not win the World Cup but with some creativity we can still score big.