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In defence of Coach Bashir Hayford
By: Jerome Otchere
posted: 3rd June 2008
Humans as we are, we are bound to have critics. We are also bound to meet people who continuously will see nothing wrong with our actions irrespective of how awkward they are.
So it is natural to have critics in life as it is also not strange to have flagrant admirers. When one goes wrong, one must be criticised and when one deserves praise, the praise must come.
However, when some people make it their business to unjustifiably demonise others, legitimate concerns must be expressed. When Coach Bashir Hayford was appointed as an Assistant to Telat Uzum, many of us did not know he would soon become the head coach. The exit of Telat Uzum however made Bashir Hayford an instant heir to the throne of head coach.
Coach Bash could not win the league title last season since the team had lost the steam to challenge for the title at the time he took over as head coach. A comprehensive and rather successful pre-season programme which saw the recruitment of 17 new players and over 30 friendly matches including 10 outside Ghana ensured that Kotoko would be the team to beat in the ensuing season.
The league started and Kotoko recorded 5 straight wins with 15 goals in the basket. The team progressed and even with 1 defeat and 3 drawn games, the Porcupine Warriors maintained their number one position on the league table. Then the preliminary round matches in the CAF Confederation Cup got under way with Kotoko eliminating Nigeria’s Wikki Tourists and Dolphins FC on a 6-3 and 4-3 aggregate respectively.
Kotoko presently has two more matches to play in that competition. An impressive performance backed by convincing results in these matches will see the team participating in the league stage of Africa’s second most respected club competition. Coach Bashir Hayford as expected has not had things easy but doesn’t the man deserve some fairness? Why demonised him for ensuring remarkable victories – winning a good number of league matches with one spectacular comeback in Africa?
Prior to the Kotoko-Dolphins FC Confederation Cup match at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, the prophets of doom predicted that management would sack Coach Bash if Kotoko fail to eliminate the Nigerians who had won the first leg encounter 2-0 at home. There was no official release from management to that effect yet some sections of the media were categorical in their reports that the coach would be fired as Kotoko coach in case of defeat in that particular game.
The coach was quiet. He concentrated on his work and conjured magic with his players to recover from a goal down to win 4-1. His detractors had no shame whatsoever, putting their dirty work in motion and accusing him of insulting Kotoko fans by describing them as ‘chop bar supporters’. Kessben FM has been playing a recorded voice in what the station claims is Bashir Hayford’s comments on the behaviour of Kotoko fans. The coach contests that the interview has been excessively edited to distort the import of his comments.
I think some of us often misunderstand the Kotoko coach. Some have an agenda against him and others even underestimates his intelligence. That is totally unfair. Whatever Coach Bash’s detractors seek to achieve with their hatred will hit them in the face because, this is a coach who dedicated the triumph over Dolphins FC to the Circles, supporters and whoever was at the stadium to cheer Kotoko that fateful day. His comments were in acknowledgment of the essential role played by the supporters.
How the same person could turn round and insult the supporters he unreservedly praised is something no sane person can understand except those who yearn for his failure at Kotoko. I am not suggesting that Bashir Hayford should not be criticised – no, that is not the point! Fair, sensible and constructive criticism is what I am advocating and not irrational, negative commentary on him. Coach Bash, by his training, will not be impervious to useful criticism.
When he was not fielding Stephen Oduro for instance, he was criticised. The man said he knew what he was doing by keeping the player on the bench. When the time was ripe for Stephen Oduro to play, he was eventually given the chance. At the El-Wak Stadium on Saturday, Kotoko’s performance was average but that was to be expected from a team rocked by injuries. Stephen Oduro for example had a bad day.
He was therefore taken-off for Simon Martey. That sparked severe criticism of the coach. Coach Bash became the target of unsavoury remarks to the extent that he virtually left the bench to respond to supporters’ outbursts. Wasn’t the so-called inexperienced Simon Martey who gave the pass for Francis Akwaffo to score? Was the coach’s judgment therefore wrong? At times we have to exercise restraint. If Coach Bash was not a good coach, he couldn’t have brought Kotoko this far.
We have to be fair to him. If he doesn’t field certain players, he is criticised. If the players underperform too he is lambasted. Football is an interesting game. For that reason, coaches will forever remain heroes and villains at one point or the other but it pays to give them credit where it is due them.
The behaviour of football fans and Kotoko followers for that matter, confirms the unpredictable nature of human attitudes. Sometimes friendly, sometimes hostile! I therefore implore Coach Bash to be resolute. He should not waver in the face of raging criticisms. He must endeavour to ignore foul and derogatory comments while thoroughly sifting what his admirers tell him.
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