Germany's Contribution to Ghana

Charles Gyamfi wasn't just the first African to play in Germany, he learned coaching there as well. He played for Fortuna Dusseldorf for a season, learned coaching in Koln at the same time and took back what he learned to Ghana, becoming the greatest coach in ACN history. By the way in recognition of his achievements he was made a chief in Ghana.

From an article on Ghanaian football in Wikipedia:

Charles Kumi Gyamfi Impact
As far back as September 1960, legendary Ghanaian International and later great Coach Charles Kumi Gyamfi was the first spectacular foreign import to Düsseldorf, Germany. Back then, he was the first African player in the German league. It all started on 2nd August, 1959, with a test match in Accra between Fortuna Düsseldorf and Accra Hearts of Oak. It was the first of five matches during a tour through Ghana and Nigeria which had been sponsored by the West-German Football Association. Beyond any doubt one of the "hottest" matches Fortuna has ever played. Fortuna players remember the heat and the game being played on a sandy, bumpy pitch. Charles Gyamfi, Accra Hearts of Oak's captain, and Düsseldorf's captain Erich Juskowiak exchanged banners before the match which the German guests later won 3-2.

During a reception at then Prime Minister Nkrumah's residence later that evening, it was agreed that 28-year-old Charles Gyamfi had to transfer to Germany not only to play for Fortuna Düsseldorf but also to study professional coaching at the German Sport University Cologne. It is reported that Charles Gyamfi was very quick to learn the German language and stunned spectators and football experts alike with his athletic and quick game, a general trade mark of African football. However, it is also reported that he never liked the German winter with snow and ice and returned, homesick, to Ghana in 1961. With a German Football Coaching degree in his rucksack, Charles Gyamfi won the African Cup of Nations three times as a Coach (1963, 1965, 1982) - a record that stands up to today. He also coached the Ghana Olympic team in Tokyo in 1964 and in Munich in 1972. Today, he is one of the Ghana Football Association's honorary presidents. Just like Charles Gyamfi, Benjamin Koufie, former Black Star Coach as well as Ex-GFA President, learned his trade in Köln (1961) and Leipzig (1964)[11].

good to see Ghanaian football is influenced by German expertise

back to the crucial question of Vogts in Nigeria:

Ulli STein , the goal-keeping coach, said that Nigerian journalists were SPITTING AT HIM

Vogts was so furious that he claimed if a white man had done the same to a black man it would have been called racism

+

the Nigerian FA were so inept that they failed to pay the hotel bill for the team during the Africa's Cup

they also did not pay for the food

Vogts himself had to get his VISA Card out and pay $30.000 otherwise the players would have had nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat during the CUP

it's a scandal

+

various Nigerian players told Vogts privately, that they regretted his departure, but could not say so publicly

+

as for my Togo and Cameroon friends

the first lives in Munich and watches football games with his buddies from all over Africa

the other lives in Paris , and again, watches matches with friends from ALL OVER Africa

INCLUDING NIGERIA

their opinions are NOT isolated, they ASSURE ME

26-Otto-19 wrote:good to see Ghanaian football is influenced by German expertise

back to the crucial question of Vogts in Nigeria:

Ulli STein , the goal-keeping coach, said that Nigerian journalists were SPITTING AT HIM

Vogts was so furious that he claimed if a white man had done the same to a black man it would have been called racism

Don't suppose there is any impartial witnesses to support this? Thought not.
+

the Nigerian FA were so inept that they failed to pay the hotel bill for the team during the Africa's Cup

they also did not pay for the food

Vogts himself had to get his VISA Card out and pay $30.000 otherwise the players would have had nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat during the CUP

it's a scandal

It certainly is a scandal that an inept coach with no experience of coaching in Africa was overpaid so outrageously. And your proof that Vogts had to pay this bill?
+

various Nigerian players told Vogts privately, that they regretted his departure, but could not say so publicly

So we have your word and possibly Vogts that Nigerian players regret his departure. Impartial proof? Thought not.
+

as for my Togo and Cameroon friends

the first lives in Munich and watches football games with his buddies from all over Africa

the other lives in Paris , and again, watches matches with friends from ALL OVER Africa

INCLUDING NIGERIA

their opinions are NOT isolated, they ASSURE ME

So we have their word that their opinions are not isolated. Compelling proof again. I met several Nigerians during the tournament, players, fans, journalists, etc. They were unanimous that Vogts was a disaster for Nigeria and limited as a coach

Stop ruining threads Otto. If you want to discuss Vogts/Nigeria start a thread on it. Stop ruining other threads. This one is to discuss Germany's influence on Ghanaian football.

@Otto

What Uli Stein says is not that important as you think. But taking into account it is true – so what? If you go to work in another country don't you think about what you are going into? Vogts' and his claqueur's comments are dinky nonsense. Just take Schaefer's remarks about his work. But this matter has been discussed amply elsewhere.

@EMP

Have this link too:

http://www.ghana.diplo.de/Vertretung/ghana/en/03/Nsiah/text.html

The Germany – Ghana link is something that hasn't been pursuit too much. Do you have any more information?

@ Katsche. I have found a fair bit of interesting stuff that I will send to you privately tomorrow. CK was the first to forge links with Germany. By the way Ghana, inspired by Gyamfi drew 3-3 with the great Real Madrid side shortly after the demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt.

Will check it out later but my understanding is that other followed CK to Koln and learning coaching. They then brought their knowledge back to Ghana and applied it locally. This is one of the things that Tony Baffoe wants to start up again.

@EMP
A friend told me about Peter Schnittger another German coach who has been working all the time in Africa. He met him when he was coach in Cameroon in the early '70s. And he told me a nice story.

Schnittger was Cameroon's national coach and Leopard Duala's club coach. Before the premier league match between Tonerre Yaounde and Leopard Duala my friend was there when Schnittger told the Tonnere captain, who was captain of the national team too, that if they were good they will loose 0-3, if not even worse. They lost 0-6.

My friend said he was impressed by the higher standard of organisation in Leopard's play and wonders why nobody never heard about Schnittger in Germany. Schnittger has been working all his lifetime in Africa for many FA's. Not only as a coach but as a technical director and director of coach education.

@ Katsche. Interesting. What is he doing now?

After 2006 Schnittger retired and is living half time in Germany half in Senegal.

Have read an interview with Schnittger where he said that African friends that where fellow students when he learned coaching at the Cologne coaching school have inspired him to go to Africa. In the beginning it should have been only a year!