One of the big movers behind Sport Against Racism Ireland (Sari) has set up a new programme to tap into the huge wealth of African sporting talent in Ireland. “We are so used to hearing about aid to Africa, now we have aid from Africa,” said Ken McCue, director of Sport Aid from Africa (Safa).
The Sari co-founder explained: “Safa is being set up because we discovered that there are lots of African coaches in Ireland from the African diaspora and they are working in all disciplines.
“We have coaches in judo, basketball, boxing and a lot of coaches in football. They are from all over Africa and are working in different communities. A lot of them are working in ‘working class’ communities and as volunteers, they are putting a lot into the development of sport in Ireland.”
McCue focused in particular on the high level of talent in soccer among the African diaspora. “They bring a flavour, as in football terms, we call it the ‘African Flavour Football’,” he said. “It is not what we are used to here, the kick and rush variety. Basically they play the ball with development of individual skills. Essentially we want to develop that from grassroots level up.”
Explaining how he hopes Safa will operate, he said: “We want everybody to work together, to co-oporate and share, and look at qualifications and how they fit into the Irish system.
“We have coaches in Kildare, Galway and Belfast, so it is going to be an all-Ireland approach. It’s a very interesting development.”
Under the Safa umbrella, Fás and the FAI have joined together to form a soccer course at the Pope John Paul II Park sports centre in Cabra, north Dublin. Harry McCue is director of the course, which will have 28 full-time trainees when it begins.
Ghana FA technical director Francis Oti-Akengteng and sport consultant Ernest Acheampong were guests of Sari and Safa on a tour of the course’s facilities recently.
Oti-Akengteng has been involved in soccer all his life. “Football is a passion in Ghana so we are made to grow with it,” he said. “Fortunately most of my family play football and naturally I got interested.
“I lived almost all my life with football right from primary school to the middle school, into secondary school and into university level, so football has been part and parcel of me, it’s a passion.”
Oti-Akengteng has some prior history with this country. He once managed the Ghana U-21 team, and while competing at the World Youth U-21 Championships in Malaysia in 1997, they were drawn in the same group as Ireland. Ghana came tops in that encounter, but the sides had to meet again in a third-place play-off match, which Ireland won.
Fifa then decided to do something they had never done before. Oti-Akengteng explained: “Because it was a beautiful and wonderful game and Fifa expected both countries to get to the final, Ghana were also awarded the bronze medal too. That was very memorable and had never happened before.”
Oti-Akengteng also outlined important reasons for his first visit to Ireland and how Ghana will be able to benefit from his visit.
“The Ghana FA found it very necessary we should be able to have a technical visit to Ireland, and through this visit probably be able to import some of the things that have been happening here, especially from the grassroots academy aspect, and take it to Ghana.
He explained of the current situation in Ghana: “The structure we have in place is not far reaching for the future. As of now there is a big gap between the senior national team and the grassroots. So once we are able to get the grassroots going then we know the progression method will come in and then we won’t have any problem. If we were able to have this it would be wonderful.”
Oti-Akengteng emphasised the need to build “a very solid foundation, we need to get the grassroots going – that is, from the six-year-olds upwards – and I believe that what we have seen here, if we incorporate it, would be wonderful for Ghana in the future.”
With the African Cup of Nations starting in the New Year, Oti-Akengtheng also spoke about Ghana’s chances and his hopes for the next Fifa World Cup.
“Ghana has enjoyed being champions four times in Africa but recently it has been very difficult for us,” he said. “The best we’ve been able to do was in Angola, when we came second. At the World Cup, Ghana held the fort for Africa; I think we did very well to get to the quarter-finals.”
He continued: “This year I am very sure Ghana is going to win the African Championship and then go ahead and beat the record, meaning get into the semi-finals or even the final of the World Cup in Brazil.
“And we are preparing in such a manner that we believe one day, very soon, we will be able to win the World Cup.”
Oti-Akengteng was grateful to all who made this trip possible. “I would like to say a big thank you to Sam Kwasi Opoku and his family members who have been of great help to us. And also a big thank-you to Ken [McCue], and we ask almighty God to give him a long life so this programme can continue and achieve our aims.”
