Ghana
Ghana’s sports fraternity is mourning a veteran football coach who led the West African country to their first football World Cup triumph.
Sam Arday, referred to as ‘the Multi-System’ man died on February 12, 2017 at the age of 71 after a short illness. He was the first coach to have led an African team to the Olympics in 1992 in Barcelona where Ghana won bronze.
He led the country’s under 17 team, the Black Starlets, to win the 1995 FIFA World Cup in Ecuador. His team beat Brazil 3 – 2 in the final played in Quito. But before Brazil his team had recorded beaten Japan, Ecuador, the USA and Portugal and Oman.
he led the same team to win the Africa Under 17 championship In Mali in the same year. The title ‘Multi-System’ emanated from his very flexible tactic in deploying his players based on his reading of the game at any point.
Arday successful coaching career also saw him manage the national team, the Black Stars, first in the year 96’ to 97’ and then also in 2004. He also acted as a scout for the team during its first World Cup appearance in 2006 in Germany.
Ghana’s other World Cup triumph is at the Under 20 level when they won the FIFA World Cup hosted by Egypt in 2009. Another local coach was in charge of the Black Satellites at the time, Sellas Tetteh.
He died as technical director of a local Premier League side, West Africa Football Club. He also managed two of Ghana’s biggest clubs, Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) paid its respects to the coach as did most soccer lovers in the country. President Akufo-Addo joined with a tribute to Arday describing him as a ‘brilliant coach Ghana has ever produced’.
Ex national coach Sam Arday passes away – https://t.co/7yUNzGRyb0 pic.twitter.com/sQm2E0RxKt
— Ghana FA 🇬🇭 (@ghanafaofficial) February 13, 2017
Saddened by the news of the death of Sam Arday. Undoubtedly, one of the most brilliant coaches Ghana has produced. (1/2)
— Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) February 12, 2017
My condolences to his family, and may his soul rest in perfect peace. (2/2)
— Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) February 12, 2017
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