The Ghana Football Association has denied reports in the local media that sought to claim that one of the three shortlisted persons gunning for the vacant Black Stars coaching position did not tender in an application for the job.

The charge which has appeared in write-ups of the Daily Graphic and the Africa Sports newspaper seem to cast slur on the credibility and integrity of the FA and its nine-member search committee tasked to find a suitable person to take up the Black Stars’ coaching job.

Write-ups in two leading local papers – the Daily Graphic and the bi-weekly, Africa Sports claim that Claude Le Roy who was shortlisted together with two other coaches, Cecil Jones Attuquayefio and Phillippe Troussier did not apply for the job as required by the FA’s advert.

The general secretary of the FA, Kofi Nsiah has told ghanafa.org that two approaches were used by the FA to look for a qualifie and suitable person for the job which was to open up the position for people to apply and head-hunting.

"The FA couldn't have been wrong if he (Le Roy) did not apply based on the two-prong approach that we used.

"We could have head-hunted any person we might have considered suitable and that could have included him (Le Roy).

"In this case, he even applied. So where did we get it wrong," he questioned.

Kofi Nsiah also explained that such reports tends to cast a slur on the credibility and integrity of the members of the committee.

“It is unfortunate that such reports are put out there to undermine the efforts of people interested in the national course.

“The FA opened up two channels of receiving applications. We decided to receive applications by facsimile (fax) or by email, through our mail server –info@ghanafa.org.

“Mr Le Roy’s application came via email.

“Claude’s application together with his CV came in on Tuesday, 8 August 2006 at 19:19pm in the evening, which was received and added to the other applications.

“The representative of Le Roy again sent another mail on behalf of his client submitting his application and CV on Tuesday, 15 August 2006 at 10:35am before the midnight deadline (August 15) to ascertain whether his (Claude Le Roy) first email had been received.

“How can anyone then inform readers that he did not apply.

“It is false and such reports would not detract us from our core business of finding a suitable person for the job.

“Such irresponsible reports dents the image of the Ghana and it behooves on media to crosscheck stories before putting out items that can be damaging to the people’s integrity,” he said.

A nine-man search team led by FA president, Kwesi Nyantakyi has been tasked to find a successor to the Serbian coach within a two months.

Members of the search committee includes Sam Arday, Jones Abu Alhassan, Abedi Pele, Oheneba Charles, Fred Pappoe, Aloysius Denkabe, Ben Koufie and Kofi Nsiah.

The Ghana Football Association commenced the search for a successor to Ratomir Dujkovic on August 1 when the FA officially advertised the position.

Applications were expected to close on or before the close of business on Tuesday, 15th August, 2006.

The Black Stars coaching job has been vacant following the decision by Dujkovic's to resign from his post last month.

Dujkovic cited his health as the reason for quitting the Ghana job after leading the Black Stars to the second round at the World Cup in Germany.