Nationality won’t count in selection of new Black Stars coach – Sports Minister

The nationality of the next head coach of the senior nation­al male football team, Black Stars, will not count as the Ghana Football Association continue to search for a new coach, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustafa Yussif, has indicated.

According to him, the compe­tence of the prospective coach will be the cardinal consideration rather than nationality when the FA finally settles on the preferred coach.

“What the country needs is a very competent coach. A coach who will help us achieve our objectives and not because he is a Ghanaian or a foreigner. All we want is a good coach,” Mr Yussif, MP, Yagaba/Kubore, said.

He gave this hint in Accra yester­day when he led officers of the Na­tional Sports Authority to respond to audit questions pertaining to the Authority as captured in the Audi­tor-General’s report on Ministries, year ending December 31, 2020.

The FA, Mr Yussif said, was already in search of a new techni­cal head for the four-time African champions following the depar­ture of former coach, Otto Addo.

The Borussia Dortmund trainer stepped down after Ghana’s abysmal performance at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar; having exited the tournament at the group stage.

“In Ghana, the agency in charge of hiring a coach, the FA, is in the process of (appointing a new coach) and I have personally engaged them on it. As at last week, the indication was that they will bring the final report to the ministry possibly this week or next week.

“Because I know we have an assignment in March, we need to have a replacement of head coach so that we can start preparing in earnest for the Afcon qualifiers which is going to take place in March,” he told the James Klutse Avedzi- chaired Committee.

Mr Yussif said having in mind the commitments ahead of the preparation for the na­tions in Cote d’Ivoire next year, the Sports Minister said the FA was working fervently to get a coach for the team ahead of qualifiers against Central Afri­can side, Angola, in March.

“The country should be assured that the FA is working to ensure that we get a replace­ment,” Mr Yussif promised.

Meanwhile, with over 60 applications, FA spokesperson, Henry Asante Twum, has dis­closed that no Ghanaian coach has applied for the vacant Black Stars coaching job.

“Maybe over 60 applications. The Black Stars is very attrac­tive. You cannot have Moham­med Kudus in your team and think the Black Stars are not attractive. It is an attractive brand, no doubt about that.

“I’m never surprised that coaches are constantly apply­ing. Most of them are from European countries and some too from South America. “So far, no Ghanaian coach has applied for the Black Stars job,” Twum told Accra- based Asempa FM on January 10, 2022.

However, Ghanaian-born Irish, Chris Hughton, the Ghanaian Times understands has applied for the vacant head coach job of the 2010 world cup quarter finalists and is considered favourite for the job.

 BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI

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