Ghana U17 coach Opeele 'Mourinho' hit back at critics: I am still the Special One

Published on: 25 April 2013
Ghana U17 coach Opeele 'Mourinho' hit back at critics: I am still the Special One
Isaac Opeele Boateng is furious with his critics who have questioned his intelligence.

Ghana U17 assistant coach Isaac 'Opeele' Boateng has hit back at his critics after team's early exit from the African Championship insisting he is still the 'Special One' of Ghana football and won't be forced to shut up.

The under-fire Opeele, also known as Ghana's version of Jose Mourinho, is loathed by some football aficionados for his acid-tongue and frank talk in his media analysis of football issues.

His part-tme job in the media, where he reviews the work of other coaches and football matches, has given ammunition to his critics after the Black Starlets bombed out of the first round of the tournament in Morocco.

Before his national team appointment, the young trainer was a pundit for local sports radio station Asempa FM as well as a columnist for the state-owned Graphic Sports newspaper.

Opeele was on the Black Starlets bench as they suffered a 6-1 humiliation at the hands of rivals Nigeria in their opening Group B match.

The team also drew 1-1 with Congo and 0-0 with Ivory Coast to finish third and exit the tournament.

His critics have asked why he was unable to rescue the team with his technical ingenuity he displays in the analysis in the media with some asking him to eat humble pie.

But Opeele remains unperturbed and has described his doubters as jealous insisting he remains the 'Special One' in Ghana football.

"It's just jealousy. I am still the Special One of Ghana football," Opeele told Accra-based Asempa FM in an interview.

"I've heard people say I am a talkative but I will still talk because that gives me money, it helps me to feed my family.

"I can never be intimidated; I will be who I am because that’s how God created me. I will never change.

"I've changed so many things in coaching in the country; I've forced coaches to talk about system and tactics after games rather than thanking God, and am proud of that."

Boateng is one of Ghana's highly rated coaches having coached Tudu Mighty Jets, Kessben FC (defunct), Sekonid Hasaacas, Tema Youth and Asante Kotoko.

He also handled Tete Atenpong in the Ghana second-tier league.

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