Afcon 1992- Otto Phister reveals reason behind naming Tony Baffoe as Black stars captain against Ivory Coast
Former Black Stars coach, Otto Pfister, has admitted that his decision to hand the captain’s armband to defender Anthony Baffoe instead of Anthony Yeboah for the 1992 Africa Cup if Nations final game against Cote D’Ivoire may have been wrong.
The German tactician however, dismissed suggestions that the decision cost Ghana the title.
With Abedi Pele suspended for the final in Dakar, Pfister chose Anthony Baffoe to lead the team out, much to the surprise of more senior players such as lead striker Yeboah.
Yeboah revealed in an interview last month that the coach’s decision affected his performance in the final which may have contributed to Ghana’s defeat.
In an interview with Citi TV, the 82-year old Pfister opened up on the controversies of 28 years ago that have seen renewed interest after TV appearances from members of the 1992 squad.
“Team handling is one of the most difficult duties of a football coach. But in Ghana, it’s a special situation with this clan [sic] thing: there are the Ashantis and the Ga-Adangbe people, Kumasi people and Accra people,” he told Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo in an exclusive interview.
“Team handling is one of the most difficult duties of a football coach. But in Ghana, it’s a special situation with this clan [sic] thing: there are the Ashantis and the Ga-Adangbe people, Kumasi people and Accra people,” he told Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo in an exclusive interview.
“So I thought, to keep out this problem, and maybe it was a mistake, but I gave Tony Baffoe the captain’s armband because he was from Germany and he was out of this whole clan thing. That is why I gave him the captain.
“Baffoe also spoke French and one of the linesmen also spoke French. Just like Abedi who speaks English and French, but Tony Yeboah speaks English and German, and I had to make a choice so I chose Baffoe.
Source:Citi fm
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