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Highlights of the career of the late coach E.K Afranie

Emmanuel Akwesi Afranie, a former Black Stars coach passed away on 9 November in a fatal road accident

Pulse Sports writer, Thomas Freeman Yeboah has given the high points of the late E.K Afranie's coaching career under nine (9) headings.

Afranie had a hand in Ghana’s last AFCON

He assisted the three times Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winning coach, C.K Gyamfi to win Ghana's last Cup of Nations' title in 1982. The team defied all odds to beat Libya the host nation of the 1982 AFCON in the grand finale in a penalty shootout. Ghana have since lost all three finals played in the continental showpiece.

Coach of the Black Stars in 1984 AFCON

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Afranie was handed the national team job, with the aim of defending the trophy won in 1982 in Libya, but his team failed to qualify to the knockout stage.

He assisted Otto Pfister to win Ghana's first world title in football. The Black Starlets edged Spain 1-0 to win the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Italy.

Silver medallist with the Black Starlets in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1997

The Black Starlets under Emmanuel Afranie locked horns with Brazil in the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, but threw away an early lead and in the end lost 2-1 against a Brazil team that had Ronaldinho.

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Silver medallist in the World Youth Championship-2001

Afranie propelled Ghana to the final of the 2001 World Youth Championship in 2001, where he gave the likes of Sulley Muntari, Michael Essien, John Mensah, John Paintsil, Derek Boateng, Adoquaye Pappoe the opportunity to excel at the world level and these players would be instrumental in the Black Stars qualification for the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups.

Nominated for African Coach of the Year

Emmanuel Afranie, after guiding the Black Satellites to a second-place finish in the 2001 World Youth Championship now the FIFA U-20 World Cup was nominated for the African coach of the Year, but Bruno Metsu, the head coah of Senegal at the time was crowned the ultimate award.

Winning league with both Hearts and Kotoko

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Afranie is also one of the only two coaches to win the Ghana Premier League titles with two different clubs: won it with Hearts of Oak in the 1996-97 season and 2005 with Asante Kotoko.

Qualified Ghana for maiden FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1999

Emmanuel Afranie was the first coach to secure Ghana a place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1999.  The Black Queens had failed to qualify in 1991 and 1995, but under his watch he made it happen.

Qualified four different national teams to the World Cup

Afraine qualified four different Ghanaian national teams to the World Cup- the Black Starlets in 1991 and 1997, while the Black Satellites in 2001 where he won silver, and the Black Queens in 1999.

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