Tetteh’s hard road to fame

NEW Amavubi head coach Sellas Tetteh Teivi recently departed from his reserved posture to talk about some of his accomplishments in a career which spans over 10 years. Sellas, also known as Borbor (a Yuroba expression which means Charlie) by his admirers, said the recent success at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup hosted by Egypt made him the first African coach to win laurels in football at that level of world competition. According to Sellas, who had a chat with The Mirror at his residence at the Old Barrier on the Accra-Kasoa road, he is the only Ghanaian coach who has consistently been in the system of coaching the national teams for 10 years. He has also been at the World Cup at all levels of international competition: Under-17, Under-20 and the senior level. According to the coach of the moment, his only regret in life is the inability to play for any of the national teams during his days as a footballer. Sellas played for Accra Hearts of Oak and Zebi FC, along with others such as Hesse Odamtten, Anas Seidu, Eric Okoe Matey, among others. However, he takes consolation from the fact that what he did not do as a footballer, he has done it now. Sellas, who is still basking in the glory of that enviable feat (winning the FIFA Under-20 World Cup), maintained that “it was not easy accomplishing this epic dream. I knew the task ahead of me and worked hard towards it. My experience in Nigeria as a footballer under good coaches helped me a lot”. Additionally, he said he had worked with Liberty Professionals, one of Ghana’s top football clubs. “The good managerial skills exhibited at that level were key and I was in the good hands of my good friend and play mate, Alhaji Sly Tetteh, the founder of the club, and Mr Felix Amoah Ansong, the chairman,” he added. Sellas started playing football as a schemer at the colts level with Great Mao Mao. He later joined the Golden Pods of Koforidua and then left for Nigeria in 1979. While in Nigeria, he played for various clubs ranging from African Continental Bank, Bendel United (1991), Inwanyawu FC (1994) and Julius Berger. He ended his soccer career with Inwanyawu FC in 1995.Sellas returned to Ghana immediately and started his coaching career with Kotobabi Powerlines. While at Powerlines, he helped the team to move from third division to second division before parting ways with it to join Dansoman-based Liberty Professionals in 1996. To be Continued

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Tetteh’s hard road to fame