Mr Ernest Thompson, a sports administrator, lawyer and former member of the Black Stars Management Committee, has called for a different management approach to national teams, stressing that they cannot be managed in the same way as club sides.
His comments come in the wake of a tumultuous period for the Black Stars of Ghana, who are winless in their last eight Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches.
The Black Stars’ latest 4-2 loss to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium has raised questions about how the team is being managed.
According to Mr Thompson, national teams brought together players from different clubs and backgrounds, making their management more complex and requiring careful planning and coordination.
Mr Thompson, who previously served on the Accra Hearts of Oak board, made the remarks while speaking on the management of national teams and the challenges that could arise when key players were unavailable.
He noted that a national team could sometimes be forced to compete with a relatively young and inexperienced group of players, particularly when some of its key players were absent due to injury or other circumstances.
According to him, such situations require managers and administrators to understand the unique nature of international football and build a system capable of adapting to changes.
“You can’t manage a national team as if you are managing a club-level team,” he told an Accra-based radio station.
Mr Thompson explained that, unlike clubs where coaches work with their players regularly, national team coaches have limited time to assemble players, train them and build team cohesion before important competitions.
He therefore, urged football administrators to put in place structures that would help national teams cope with the absence of experienced players while giving younger players the confidence and support needed to perform at the highest level.
He said a well-organised national team management system should focus not only on immediate results but also on developing a strong pool of players capable of stepping up when the need arises. -GNA
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