Marcel Desailly’s lack of experience will not count against him when he is interviewed for the job of Ghana coach, the country’s football association said on Tuesday.
The former France international and 1998 World Cup winner is one of five candidates shortlisted by the Ghana Football Association to replace Milovan Rajevac after the Serbian turned down a contract extension in September.
The 42-year-old Desailly, who was born in Ghana, won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with Les Bleus but has never coached a major team.
The former AC Milan and Chelsea defender ended his playing career in 2006.
“The selection would be based on a broad criteria of which coaching experience is just one of them,” GFA spokesman Randy Abbey said.
“A candidate may not have coaching experience but score high in other areas.”
Ghana’s shortlist also includes another Serb, Goran Stevanovic, former Portugal, Morocco and Tunisia manager Humberto Coelho, ex-Ghana international Herbert Addo and Can Vanli, a former Turkey national team assistant and current coach of Maldives’ VB Sports Club.
Abbey said the GFA would meet on Thursday to fix a date for interviews and the selection of the new coach.
Rajevac led an impressive Ghana team to the final of this year’s African Cup of Nations and the quarterfinals of the World Cup before leaving to take over at Saudi club Al Ahli.
Desailly is seen as the front-runner to replace him.
Now under caretaker coach Kwesi Appiah, Ghana is top of Group I in African Cup of Nations qualifying on goal difference after a win and a draw from two games.
