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April 2009

Well just over a month into my latest adventure and there is so much to tell, let me start with the current situation on the ground here in the Sudan. I have read with interest many of the things that have been written and said re the safety of people here in Khartoum and while I appreciate there are problems in the South of the country I have not at any time felt threatened or in any danger. The people here are very hospitable and have done all they can to make me feel welcome despite the obvious hardships and problems that face the country. I am here for football and will do all I can to help the Sudan FA try to achieve their goals during my time here.

Of course I am all too aware of the political problems but will continue to work until told I am not wanted or needed.

Naturally coming into a new team there are always going to be problems of some sort or another and the Sudan is no different, there is the obvious problem which needs to be addressed that of the teams performances over the last few years and the issue of trying to renew the team and bring on some fresh faces as the team is fairly old.

I had a look at the players in a friendly that was arranged for me against Uganda, which was very helpful in that I got to see the lads up close and while I was on the bench did not select or pick the squad for the simple reason I had not seen the players.

It was an extremely useful game even though we went down 0-2 to a well organised Bobby Williamson team. It was interesting to see the certain things and obviously I used the game as a way of seeing as many players as I could.
I must say that the SFA here are trying their best to improve things and with that in mind they have allowed me to bring in my own staff , and I have brought in my goalkeeping coach Rogerio Ramos from Brazil and James Karegeorgiou who is a Greek Australian !! as the SFA President  Dr Kamal Shadad likes to say you have brought us people from all over the world!!!!   Both of them have come to help and they have done a great job in helping prepare the team for the game against Mali.

As we prepared for the Wold Cup Qualifiers there were many organisational problems as well as trying to pick the right eleven players for the game after only 8 training sessions. I know the type of player I like and it is never about likes or dislikes it’s about ability, character and of course determination. It was evident early on from looking at DVDs that there were two major problems affecting the team that had qualified for the African Nations Cup in Ghana two years ago and that was  the team was ageing and there was complete lack of discipline on and off the pitch.

We had several meetings on the subject of discipline and as a team we agreed to the code of conduct that I had drawn up for them. We had eight days to prepare for the Kanoute and company and naturally I would have liked a few more weeks !

We worked a lot on positioning and team play and of course we would need to have a high work rate to match the skills and experience of the Mali team.
I had decided early that we would not sit back and let Mali dictate play and that we would look to attack them and at the same time make sure we keep our shape.

I gave 5 players their international debut and I am sure there were many Sudan fans who were a little worried as I had left out many of the more experienced senior players out for a number of reasons, the first and foremost reason was that they were not disciplined enough off the pitch and that is something I don’t put up with whoever the player is. The young lads came in and did a great job proving that they are up to the task and hopefully will go on and do great things.

The game itself was a fairly evenly matched game and we would have taken this before the game, but we had a great chance t win the game in the 90 minute and well that really would have made people sit up and take notice. We are in a very tough group and with an away game to Benin in June and then home to Ghana we really are up against it. I watched Benin who lost 0-1 in Ghana and they are very well organised and physically strong team and will be a very difficult game for us, but if we can play the way we did against Mali we will give our selves the chance and you never know.

I would also like to thank everyone who has rung emailed and wished me well in my new job and it is much appreciated …………..until next time