Ex-GFA technical director Francis Oti Akenteng says passing over homegrown coaches for Black Stars roles is disrespectful and will drive talent away.
Ghana's debate over homegrown coaching talent just got louder. Former GFA technical director Francis Oti Akenteng has accused the association of showing local coaches a lack of respect by repeatedly looking past them for the biggest jobs in the national setup.
His criticism comes after the GFA named Black Queens boss Kim Lars Björkegren as interim head of the Black Stars' technical team for the upcoming 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Somalia. The Swede will be supported by Medeama head coach Ibrahim Tanko and Godwin Attram, while Fatawu Dauda stays on as goalkeeper coach.
Speaking on Asempa FM, Oti Akenteng insisted Ghana has no shortage of capable domestic coaches who could have taken charge on an interim basis. In his view, constantly bypassing them sends a damaging message, and coaches who feel undervalued will eventually lose interest in the national job altogether.
The timing adds pressure. The Black Stars are without a permanent coach after Carlos Queiroz left following a disappointing start to their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign. The GFA, working with the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, has set up a five-member committee to find his successor, and the question of whether a local coach gets a real shot is now impossible to ignore.
