Soccer News of Saturday, 18 January 2003

Source: GNA

FIFA urges Ghana to put house in order

....for a World Cup Debut
Accra, Jan 18, GNA - Mr Sampon Kablan, Development Officer of FIFA Goal Project in Charge of West Africa has urged the Ghana Football Association to re-examine its policies and programmes and pursue those that are likely to give the nation a World Cup debut. He said FIFA is worried and could not understand why Ghana does so well at the junior level and yet fail to glitter at the senior stage where it matters most.

Mr Kablan was addressing a press conference in Accra after inspecting Ghana's Soccer School of Excellence at Prampram and some facilities under the GFA.

He was on a three-day working visit to ensure that Ghana has fulfilled all the three conditions, which enables a country to access the FIFA Goal Project Fund.

The FIFA Officer said Ghana was more likely to given the money, which could be approved by April this year.

He said he was glad that the GFA has started to do the right thing by fielding players with their correct ages at the junior level that have the prospect to grow and develop.

"It does not matter the kind of results you get today, once the right thing is done, the future would look bright", the Ivorian FIFA Official said. He was enthused about the GFA's five-year development plan, which he said if pursued systematically, could produce good results for the nation in the near future.

Mr Kablan who once played under GFA Boss Ben Koufie, at Asec Mimosa Football Club in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire in the 70s, later rose to become the Team Manager of the Ivorian national team.