Ghana is still in search for a substantive coach for the senior national men’s team, the Black Stars after Serbian trainer, Milovan Rajevac was dismissed for non-performance and poor run of results that gave birth to Ghana’s worst ever campaign showcased to the world at the recently concluded 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) on Wednesday, February 9, 20211 announced a four-member interim technical team to lead the Black Stars in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers double header against Nigeria, led by Borusia Dortmund Assistant coach Otto Addo. The four-member team consist of Otto Addo (head coach), Mass-Ud Didi Drama and Aston Villa U-23 coach George Boateng as Assistants to Otto, along with former Newcastle United manager Christopher Hughton who will act as Technical Advisor to the technical team.
The quartet have been assigned only to supervise over Ghana’s two legged World Cup playoffs against Nigeria, after which their mandate will come to an end with the GFA expected to name a substantive coach for the Black Stars as well as the backroom staff of the technical team head. It is unclear whether or not the FA would want an indigenous coach to take the Black Stars coaching job on permanent basis after the playoffs in March, or settle for an expatriate coach.
Commenting on who should be hired to fill the Black Stars coaching vacancy, Accra Hearts of Oak Board Member, and a former President of the GFA, Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe has recommended that the current head coach of the bitterest rivals of Accra Hearts of Oak, Asante Kotoko, Dr Prosper Narteh Ogum be appointed to lead the Black Stars in a permanent capacity. In his opinion, the former WAFA trainer has brought lots of positives to the Porcupines and has added more value to the team, a reason for which he is qualified to led the senior national men’s team.
“I will suggest that we pick a local coach in the person of Dr Prosper Ogum, the trainer of Kumasi Asante Kotoko now”, Dr Nyaho told GTV Sports+ on Saving Our Passion. “I have studied that man carefully and he’s brought a lot of life into Kotoko, and if we want really to get somewhere we should give that gentleman the power and I can tell you that he will give us a team we shall be surprised of”, he advised.
Otto Addo, who had prior to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon been appointed by the GFA as a member of the technical team, failed to show up at the tournament, and played no role to assist the Black Stars. Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe believes, that despite having nothing against Addo, he believes that the former Ghana international “hasn’t gotten passion for the Black Stars”, and should not be forced to lead the team.
“Otto Addo I don’t even know him, I have nothing against him. He neglected the boys when he was part of the team, and such a person to me, hasn’t got passion for the Black Stars. As for Chris [Hughton] I believe this is not the time for him to be here at the moment. At the right time we might need him”, he warned.
According to him, former Asante Kotoko coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani could be the right man to assist current Asante Kotoko coach Prosper Narteh to lead the Black Stars to its glory days.
“Dramani yes, can be paired with Dr Ogum Narteh of Kumasi Asante Kotoko and we shall see, he will put the boys into what we call a war foot. It’s going to be very very challenging and the boys would have to work hard and I believe strongly that particular gentleman, Dr Ogum can get us the results we are all looking for”, he concluded.
