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Building the capacity of our local coaches
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THE issue of contracting local managers or coaches for our senior national team, Black Stars, has always been a matter of postscript rather than a priority. Maybe, that should not have been the case.
Whilst a school of thought fiercely holds the engagement of local coaches as the right technical brains for the national team, others disagree – believing that the ‘local breeds’ have not gotten to the expected apogee to handle a team in that class.
Respected football administrator and bankroller of Kumasi King Faisal, Alhaji Abdul Karim Grusah, has persistently insisted that there was no local coach available at the moment to handle the Stars.
“There is no coach in Ghana who can handle the Black Stars now. Let’s be honest with ourselves,” Alhaji strongly asserted.
Ghana’s Black Stars are currently without a trainer amid speculations of ongoing talks between the Ghana FA and Germany-based Ghanaian Otto Oddo and ex-Brighton boss Chris Houghton as regards the managerial position of the team. Other reports also suggested that a local coach be contracted as an interim boss ahead of Ghana’s Qatar 2022 World Cup play-off with Nigeria clash in March.
This nagging issue will continue to haunt us a nation unless we make it a policy to use our own people to handle our national team. Indeed, some chieftains of Ghana football believe that our game can make a significant progress if the nation drives away from the over-dependence on foreign coaches and rather concentrate on building the capacity of the indigenous ones.
Indeed, from George Edward Ainsley (1959) to Avraham “Avram” Grant 92014/2017), none of the 24 expatriates have been able to give Ghana gold at the continental front. All of Ghana’s four Nations’ Cup feats (1963, ’65, ’78 and ’82) have been masterminded by local coaches, clearly indicating that they have something up their sleeves. Admittedly, however, some of the local brains have let the nation down when given the opportunity; perhaps, the major reason for their failure being that they have not been given the free hand to manage the team as they would have wanted.
Ranking Member of Youth, Sports and Culture, who is also the Member of Parliament for South Tongu Constituency, Wisdom Kobena Woyome, agrees that the government need to improve the capacity of the local coaches in the country to be able to take up national team assignments.
“It’s sad that the technical team didn’t look sharp; the playing body showed some lackadaisical attitude. I have a soft spot for local coaches because I want us to build their capacity. Looking at the previous AFCONS we won, we won them with local coaches, so all I am saying is that, there’s so much we can do with local coaches.
“Question, however is, have they built the needed capacity of local coaches to deliver?,” he queried, insisting that it must be the responsibility of the system (government). This is the only way to stop appointing expatriates or looking for the best foreign coaches.”
About two years ago, President of Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Simeon Okraku, indicated that he had tasked the FA Technical Directorate to select 15 local coaches who would receive training to improve their capacity. It is not too clear what happened to that laudable strategy – which the Technical Directorate, headed by German tactician Bernhard Lippert, was mandated to vigorously pursue.
Okraku also assured that coaches selected would be offered the opportunity to add value to themselves by way of attachment beyond the borders of Ghana.
“Coaching is a very key part of the football ecosystem and the Executive Council of the Association do take coaching very seriously. It is for this reason that when we started this journey, we have taken steps to enhance the coaching capacity of our local coaches.”
Truth is that we have seen some kind of training for local coaches, but it is not enough. We would have expected to see the capacities of top local and former Black Stars’ coaches being enhanced. We can make mention of the likes of Sellas Tetteh, David Duncan, Maxwell Konadu, Kwesi Appiah, CK Akonnor, Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, etc, who could be sent for top technical FIFA programmes over time with the ultimate intention of taking over the national team. Others who do not get the top nod could be sent to build the cadet teams as they are expected to impart their knowledge on their assistants.
We have got to have a deliberate strategy of building from the junior level to the apex of the game.
The success of Burkina Faso coach – Kamou Malo, in the Cameroon African Cup of Nations, is enough to start thinking again of building the capacity of our own to handle the national team.
Malo was brought up playing football on the streets of the capital, Ouagadougou, but he trained for the police force and was about to sit his exams to become a police captain when he got the chance to go to Germany and study for his coaching badges.
He enjoyed success coaching domestically, including winning the title at Rail Club du Kadiogo, before getting the chance to manage the national team in 2019.
Having already given Appiah, Tetteh, Akonnor the opportunity to be at the helm of affairs, we could also identify one of the buoyant coaching names around and start preparing him to take over the Stars in the next few years. It is all about planning and we have to be ready to invest because nothing good comes cheap.
It is interesting to know that Stephen Keshi is the only coach from Sub-Saharan Africa to have won the AFCON this millennium.
“I would encourage those running federations in Africa to recruit local coaches. It was a risk but the results speak for themselves. We should have more confidence in ourselves and give local coaches the same opportunities,” Malo said.
BY JOHN VIGAH
CAF 2nd Vice President and President of the Ghana Football Association, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, has visited the Black Princesses in Poland ahead of their opening game at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The GFA President, who watched the team’s training session, assured the players of the Association’s full support and backed them to make history by qualifying from the group stage for the first time.
“A few days ago, I was in a chat with the head coach and I promised that I was going to join him for what I think is the most important game for us, which is the first game,” President Simeon-Okraku told the team.
“For me, the first game is the most important, because if we start well, chances are that we will do well. History tells us that this team has always been here. We’ve always been at this tournament for seven consecutive times. My inner faith is telling me that we have enough quality here to qualify from this group.”
He praised the players for their sacrifice and patience throughout preparations, saying their investment would be repaid on the pitch.
“You have been patient and gone through the troubles and the hassles. And you are here today. I believe that these sacrifices you have made, these investments you have made, will be repaid,” he said.
The GFA President stressed that Ghana has the quality to overcome their group opponents.
“We are faced by three opponents — Ecuador, Korea Republic and France. These three nations, believe me, are no better than us. We have enough quality in this team to win games in this group and to make it to the second round of the competition.”
“This tournament is played every two years, so after 14 years, this is the 16th year now — this group must be the one that makes it out of the group to the knockout stage. And this must happen.”
“I think the team is ready. The technical team have done a good job. The players have conducted themselves well. We will continue to support you to ensure you get the best to be able to compete at this level.”
He also charged the final squad to make those who missed out proud.
“A few of you were here but didn’t make the squad and had to leave. This is that moment that you have to make them proud.”
President Simeon-Okraku was accompanied to the training ground by Chief of Staff at the GFA, Michael Osekre, and President of Dreams FC, Jiji Alifoe.
Ghana will open their campaign against Ecuador on September 6, 2026, before facing Korea Republic and France in their other group matches.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
In the midst of the storm that rocked professional boxing organisation almost a year ago, a decision was taken which is unprecedented in the annals of the sport in Ghana.
Following the death of a Nigerian boxer in a Ghanaian ring, the modus operandi of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) was questioned in various quarters.
Just when the storm appeared to have settled, another disaster struck. Ernest Akushey ‘Baubali’, a famous local boxer was lost to the icy hands of death, 10 clear days after a bout. It was such an unfortunate incident. May he keep resting in peace.
Even before the cause of death comes out, the GBA administration was put on the chopping board, and became a gum in the mouth of all. Almost everyone ‘chewed’ some.
Perhaps, considering the weight and ignominy of the incident, the mighty and powerful had to step in, taking major decisions to ensure some sanity in the sport.
Among the popular decisions arising out of this intervention was the call for sweeping reforms that led to the establishment of an Interim Management Committee (IMC) which has now assumed the role of the GBA because of the failure to organize elections to handover to an elected body because of the non-availability of funds.
The second was the last minute cancelation of a promotion to be staged by former boxer, Michael Nii Ayitey Okai, aka Ayittey Powers.
There appears to be some calm over the first decision as boxing stakeholders wait patiently, hoping that the IMC does the needful in no time.
But the latter, regarding the cancelation of the bout has continued, becoming a tango between the former boxer-now-turned promoter and the Director General of the National Sports Authority, Mr Yaw Ampofo Ankrah (YAA).
The Accra Regional Police Command this week arrested the veteran boxer, after he has reported himself at the station, over an alleged threat of death made against Mr. Ankrah after a video of him talking about the issue went viral.
A police statement said ‘Dada Powers’ was arrested in connection with an alleged threat made against the NSA boss.
Sadly, the circumstances under which the decision to cancel the promotion was made and the absence of a precedent to follow, have made a solution difficult to come by, a year after.
One remembers the back and forth about the decision as to whether the fight would be staged or not.
With assurances that the fight would go on, Powers claimed to have paid so much to boxers in terms of purses and other organizational expenditures, only for the NSA boss to drop the ill-fated announcement cancelling the promotion.
Since then, Dada Powers has seen the decision as a unilateral one from the NSA boss and has constantly blamed YAA for his present predicament. What is, however not clear is the form of compensation Powers is asking for.
As of now, one is at a loss whether he is seeking a refund of his expenditure or awaiting clearance to stage the fight.
If it were to be the latter, there would be no problem with that since boxing promotion has return in full force with the IMC sanctioning close or over 10 promotions.
This problem should not have arisen in the first place if that decision had been carefully thought through. If that was done, it would have found a way out of the mess it created for both parties.
Clearly, Powers is seeking for a sort of compensation which he has failed to communicate well. Despite the guidance from well-meaning people, he decides to sometimes use some ‘ring’ tactics to express his concerns.
If Powers is not aware, he must be advised that there are laws that governs every transaction or activity so no matter how legitimate his concerns may be, he is bound by the same laws to demand for justice in the right way.
Now in the custody of the police and latest reports suggesting the matter has ended up in court, the focus now shifts from the substantive matter to his behaviour that puts him in a bad light for a certain class of people.
Instead of seeing Yaw as an ‘enemy of progress,’ he must show an interest in working closely with him and others to find an amicable solution.
Maybe by extension, the decision to cancel that bout should be subjected to a probe – to know how it came about, it merits and demerits and whether it was in the best interest for Ghana boxing.
By Andrew Nortey
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