Michael Essien open to Black Stars assistant coach role - Report

Former Ghanaian football star, Michael Essien, is reportedly open to the assistant coach role of the Black Stars.

Essien who currently holds the position of assistant coach at Danish club FC Nordsjaelland, recently acquired his UEFA ‘A’ coaching license.

According to sportsworldGhana, the 41-year-old is enthusiastic about joining the next Black Stars technical team.

The potential appointment of Essien comes amidst ongoing deliberations within the Ghana Football Association regarding appointing Otto Addo as the head coach.

In 2023, Essien told Nigerian journalist Lolade Adewuyi that he was not interested in becoming a future Black Stars coach.

“On my way to Naples, had a long layover in Denmark where I met a legend of the game, Michael Essien,” Adewuyi tweeted, accompanied by a photo of himself with Essien.

“He’s now a coach at FC Nordsjaelland in the Danish Superliga. He recently got his UEFA A and UEFA Elite Youth Coach licenses. Future Black Stars coach? He said not interested.”

After Ghana's abysmal performance at the 2023 African Cup of Nations, Chris Hughton and his technical team were fired, leaving the Black Stars coaching role vacant.

Ghana exited the tournament held in Ivory Coast, winning none, losing one and drawing two of three group matches.

Essien earned 59 caps during his 12-year tenure with the Black Stars and played for top clubs like Lyon, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and AC Milan

JNA/EK