In a resignation letter dated July 19 and addressed to the team's management, Ghazal said he was stepping down with immediate effect, arguing that player selection is the responsibility of the head coach and that outside involvement had made it impossible for him to carry out his duties independently.
"This current squad... I'm not the one who selected them but the S.G. who did," Ghazal wrote in the letter.
Speaking to Twic Media Reports, Ghazal said his resignation was not a reflection of the players selected, describing them as "good and capable." However, he maintained that a head coach should be accountable only for a squad he personally selects.
"If the team performs poorly, I want to be held accountable for my own decisions, not for decisions made by someone else," he said.
The team's Secretary General, Machel Deng, rejected the allegation, saying he never attempted to influence the selection of players.
Deng said on social media that, after initially being excluded, he requested permission to observe the players selection meeting in his capacity as Secretary General. He said Ghazal denied the request and later left the meeting after telling him he had two options, either remain in the room or allow the coach to continue selecting players without him present.
According to Deng, he instructed the remaining coaching staff to proceed with the selection without his involvement because the deadline for submitting the squad was approaching.
"He denied me the opportunity to observe, but that shouldn't be termed as interference," Deng said.
Deng added that, as Secretary General, he is responsible for overseeing administrative procedures, including recording meeting minutes and maintaining official team records. He also said he was surprised by Ghazal's resignation after working with him for the past year.
The resignation comes as Twic Mayardit Football Team finalizes preparations for the Warrap State Peace Tournament, where it is expected to represent the Twic Mayardit community.
It was not immediately clear whether the team had appointed an interim head coach ahead of the tournament. The team's management had not issued an official statement on the resignation or the differing accounts presented by Ghazal and Deng at the time of publication.
