GIVE TO SELLAS' WHAT IS HIS! GIVE HIM CREDIT!

Later today, Brazil play Costa Rica in the under 20 world cup. Before then Ghana play Hungary and being in that part of the world at the moment, I'm in the thick of a vortex of emotions regarding the game.

The main issue in Ghana in the whole of Egypt 2009 has been the contribution of Ghana's gaffer, Sellas Tetteh.

For some weird reason, the man's public ratings never seem to soar no matter what he does.

Not when he worked under Mariano Barreto in 2005 in the qualifiers for the Germany world cup. Not when he was under Ratomir Dujkovic later in that same campaign. Certainly not when he deputised for Jones Attuquayefio at Liberty Professionals for so long though he consistently led the team to good finishes in Ghana's top flight. And of course when he led Ghana's national under 17 side to Korea for the world cup and placed 4th, people went on (suprisingly) about how 'it was the boys who played well and not the coach'. Wow.

Then Sellas was elevated to the Black Stars to be assistant to Claude LeRoy. When the Frenchman was unable to give Ghana the gold in the Nations' Cup last year, Sellas was also fingered for giving bad advise.

My point is: if the man has, as we speak, led this Satellites team to the semi-final of the under 20 world cup, how bad could he be? The answer I got on my TV show this morning from my panellist Aminu Shardow was that:
''Sellas has been riding on too much luck and his substitutions have been suspect. He has a squad that has quality in depth and can be coached by anyone.''

This kind of thought was echoed by many people I spoke to on the streets. But I think this is wrong.

We have to give credit where it is due. He has done well. Did I forget to mention that he led this same under 20 team to gold early this year in Rwanda? Yeah, he did usher that side to the championship - and in some style, too.

As someone said, what the guy has done is more than can be said for the many many 'useless' foreign legion of coaches that have used Ghana's national team - and other African teams I may add - as stepping stones.

So, give to Sellas what is Sellas'!

Laters.