5 local coaches who can take up the Black Stars role in the future

Some Ghanaians are the reason that most local coaches don’t perform well when given the mandate to lead the Black Stars of Ghana.

The concerns raised are that expatriate coaches perform well during competitions, unlike the local coaches who bow out of tournaments at the early stages.

Notwithstanding, Ghana’s best performance during the AFCON in the last decade was in 2015 when the Stars emerged as runners-up under the auspices of Israeli trainer, Avram Grant while at the FIFA World Cup, Ghana’s best was in 2010 where they painfully exited at the quarter-final stage under the tutelage of Serbian coach, Milovan Rajevic.

However, Ghana’s success on the continent is credited to the late Charles Kumfi Gyami, who led the team to win the AFCON on three occasions in 1963, 1965 and 1982 and the late Fred Osam-Duodo who led Ghana to clinch the title in 1978. 

In the last two decades, the narratives about local coaches have taken a different twist when it comes to national team duties, even with regards to the local league, most clubs prefer to work with a white coach rather than a home-based coach.

Bankroller for King Faisal Football Club, Alhaji Gruzah in an interview disclosed his love for foreign coaches, citing that “Who teaches them [local coaches]?  Where do they [local coaches] do their coaching courses?''Gruzah replied when asked about the arrival of Bossicic. Even the GFA President says coaches of clubs who finish first to fourth in the league will be taken to foreign countries for coaching courses, why didn’t he say Burkina Faso."

Sellas Tetteh, James Kwesi Appiah, Maxwell Konadu, and CK Akunnor are local-based coaches who took charge of the Black Stars from 2008 to 2021.

GhanaWeb looks into five local coaches who are potential candidates for the Black Stars coaching role should the GFA decide to hire one soon.  

Evans Adotey

Adotey, 58, is one of the most experienced gaffers in the local scene, having coached Ghana’s female U17 team the Black Maidens from 2014 to 2019, in the process leading the team to three consecutive quarter-final place in three FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup campaigns and also served as the first assistant coach of the Ghana national male U20 team to Abdul Karim Zito.

Adotey joined Medeama as an assistant coach in 2013 and was later named the interim coach where he led the club to their first MTN FA Cup and also placed 4th place finish by the end of the 2012-2013Ghana Premier League season.

He later joined Karela United in 2020 and reunited with Medeama in March 2023 as the Yellow and Mauves currently sits top of the league log with three games left to climax the 2022/23 season.

Should Medeama win their remaining three games, he becomes the first coach to win Medeama their first Premier League title.

Paa Kwesi Fabian

Paa Kwesi Fabian has managed seven clubs in the Ghana Premier League, making him the most successful among the four other candidates.

He begun with Asante Kotoko in 2002 as an assistant and currently with two-time Premier League winners, Aduana Stars in his second stint with the club, having early managed the Dormaa-based club from 2019-2021.

He has also managed Ghana's male U-17, U-23 and Uganda’s U20 and U17. Having kept Aduana Stars on the top spot for weeks, he dropped to second position for Medeama to take over with a point behind the leaders. 

Kassim Mingle

The 64-year-old is doing an amazing job with Bechem United since he took over in 2021. He previously handled the Great Olympics from January 2015 to December 2015. He ended his debut season with Bechem United and played in the MTN FA Cup final but lost 2-1 to Accra Hearts of Oak.

In his second season with the Hunters, Bechem is currently in third position as he was named the NASCO Coach of the Month for January 2023.  

Christopher Ennin

At age 41, Ennin remains the youngest among the four other candidates but also earns the credit as one of the most tactical and disciplined coaches in the Ghana Premier League. 

He joined Berekum Chelsea in July 2022 after stints in Thailand with Sakkaeo FC (Division 2), Rayong FC, Kampang Phet FC and Korat Mazda FC. 

He was one of the finest last seasons when Berekum Chelsea placed 8th in his debut season but the former footballer has stepped up his performance in the ongoing 2022/23 season as the Biribies are currently fifth on the league table. He was adjudged the NASCO Coach of the Month of September in 2022. 

Michael Osei

The former Ghana international is gradually turning Bibiani Gold Stars into a fearsome club after the Miners gained promotion to play in the betPawa Premier League in the 2021/22 Division One League.

He joined the Western North side in July 2021 after the side sealed their place in the Premier League for the first time. He guided the side to a tenth position in his first season and currently Gold Stars have moved from a mid-table team to sixth on the table with the aim of being among the top four at the end of the season. Osei, 51, has also managed Asante Kotoko, Star Madrid and Liberty Professionals in Ghana. 

 LSN/OGB