Ghanaian football is now faced with an uncertain future after the firing of Cecil Jones Attuquayefio as coach of the national team on Thursday afternoon over a pay dispute.

The dismissal has opened a legal battle between the fired coach and the Ghana Football Association, who have pronounced already that the national team's chances of qualifying for the 2002 World Cup finals is over.

The coach was also firred because he had refused to "show commitment" to the national team over the club he led to African glory, Hearts of Oak. Attuquayefio's dismissal, however, is merely one of the problems affecting the national team.

A new GFA executive is due to be elected, but that has been delayed until after the sport minister, who should nominate two officials to the congress, was sacked following the disappearance of $46,000 in his custody.

Three weeks ago, after another fiscal investigation, three members of the previous executive of the federation were ordered to refund a fraction of a $450,000 grant from the Confederation of African Football.

With too much mess to discard before a new executive of the GFA is named, the state vice-president, Alhaji Alihu Mahama has stepped into the office of the sport ministry.

The vice-president will probably have to name the two people for the top soccer job in the country. Former Ghanaian legend Abedi Pele is among the four contenders and is a favourite of Mahama.

Still, Abedi's chances during the elections is believed to be slim. Most of the football delegates who will vote at the elections seem to be against his campaign to become chairman of the FA.

On April 3, the Under-20 side returned home from the African Nations Cup in Ethiopia after failing to defend the title, losing 2-0 to Angola in the final. The defeat has left many questions unanswered about the state of the country's youth soccer, which used to be the envy of other African countries.

In fact the inquest had started after the Under-17 side fell at the first hurdle as African champions in a qualifying match against Gambia.

Many senior officers say the country's football has been affected by the age competitions. The former GFA boss, Alhaji Jawula and the last Ghanaian technical adviser in Botswana, Ben Koufie said it is possible that the country's failure to perform consistently at senior level has been due to players who supply false ages to play in the national junior teams.

As four times African champions, Ghana has never qualified for the World Cup finals, but the West Africans are rated among the top names in youth competitions after winning two Under-17 World championships and an equal number in the African Nations Cup and at Under-20.

Almost a dozen coaches have been hired and kicked out over the last decade and Attuquayefio is just the latest victim in the search for a solution to the country's elusive World Cup dream.

A permanent coach will be announced later in the year, while Fred Osam-Duodu, who won the 1978 Nations Cup for the side has been named as caretaker coach.

Osam-Duodu will be in charge to complete the remaining matches in the World Cup and African Nations Cup qualifiers. Until a saviour surfaces, Ghana's football image is quickly going down the drains.