The first was coach James Kwesi Appiah, who led the nation to the Brazil 2014 tournament. And although the last Qatar 2022 World Cup with coach Otto Addo in the dugout wasn’t what many Ghanaians would have hoped for.
There’s no doubt that with the right environment, a local coach can do wonders with the senior national team. For a country that has failed to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in over 40 years but has spent millions of dollars on appointing coaches, many being expatriate managers it is probably time to look home.
Yes, there’s already a Ghanaian coach in charge, however, some Ghanaians, and in fact, 62 percent of the people who responded to a recent Pulse Sports poll want Otto Addo to be dismissed.
Here are five Ghanaian coaches who can lead the national team in the near future.
1.Laryea Kingston
Laryea Kinston’s acumen as a youth coach has not gone unnoticed. And with his no-nonsense approach to things, there’s no doubt he will be a future prospect for the national team job. However, his recent fallout with the management of the Black Starlets means that it is unlikely under the current Ghana Football Association (GFA) administration.
2.Samuel Boadu
Coach Samuel Boadu led Accra Hearts of Oak to their first Ghana Premier League in over a decade and also won the MTN FA Cup. His time in Africa was poor but having been back to the league after a short spell on national duty, he’s one of the likeliest people to lead the Black Stars in the future.
3.Desmond Offei
Desmond Offei won gold with the Ghana Under-20 team in the All-African Games hosted in Accra this year. He has already qualified the Black Satellites to the next stage of the WAFU B U-20 tournament in Togo. Coach Offei is on an upward trajectory and will not be surprising if he gets the ultimate job in some years to come.
4.Ignatius Osei-Fosu
Ignatius Osei-Fosu is currently Kwesi Appiah’s assistant for the Sudan national team. His time with Medeama in the Ghana Premier League was memorable and despite his controversial shortcomings, his tactical ability cannot be questioned. He can be an interesting pick for the national team role in the future.
5.Dr. Prosper Nartey Ogum
Coach Nartey Ogum won Kumasi Asante Kotoko the league title, left the club, and is now back in second place in the second season of his second stint. The Porcupine Warriors had a poor last season, but they have turned things around. He’s a man who likes to have control of his team, and that could be a challenge with how the Black Stars is structured. Nonetheless, he could be one of the names for the role in the future.