See five Ghanaians who can coach Black Stars in future

There is no doubt that a local coach can achieve great things with the senior national team if given the right environment.

For a country that hasn’t won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in over 40 years, despite spending millions on appointing various expatriate coaches, it may be time to consider homegrown talent.

While there is currently a Ghanaian coach in charge, a recent Pulse Sports poll revealed that 62 percent of respondents want Otto Addo to be replaced.

Here are five Ghanaian coaches who can lead the national team in the near future.

1. Laryea Kingston

Laryea Kingston's skills as a youth coach have not gone unnoticed, and his no-nonsense approach suggests he could be a strong candidate for the national team position in the future. However, his recent fallout with the management of the Black Starlets makes it unlikely under the current Ghana Football Association (GFA) administration.

The Former Black Starlets coach, Laryea Kingston, has embarked on an exciting new journey, taking up the role of head coach at RPS Academies in the United States. 

Tasked with developing the next generation of football stars, Kingston is working alongside a team of coaches, applying his expertise to nurture young talents in the multi-sport academies located in Saint Lucie, Florida.

The Ghanaian, who proudly holds a UEFA Licence B coaching certificate, brings with him a wealth of experience from his previous roles at the renowned Right to Dream Academy and as a coach for the under-18 side of Danish club Nordsjaelland. 

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 their CAF Champions League was poor but having been back to the league after a short spell on national duty, he is one of the likely local coahes to lead the Black Stars in the future. 

He started his football career at Real Ambassadors, a Colts club at Tema and RTU Colts club, Kumasi. 

The native of Tepa in the Ashanti Region holds a CAF Licence A and currently handles Ghana Premier League side Berekum Chelsea.

 3. 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. 

Osei-Fosu holds a CAF License A badge worked as a scout for Dramani Mas-Ud Didi during his stint as coach of Asante Kotoko.

He served as assistant coach Liberty Professionals in 2016 to 2017. He was later promoted to interim-coach in 2017.

In December 2019, following the departure of Frimpong Manso as coach, he was appointed as head coach of Techiman Eleven Wonders ahead of the 2019–20 Ghana Premier League season.

4. Dr. Prosper Nartey Ogum 

Coach Nartey Ogum departed the club after leading Kumasi Asante Kotoko to win the 2022/23 league title.

However, he is currently back to the club and has guided the team to an appreciable position (2nd place) on the league log this season.

He is a coach 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. 

He is a Sports Psychologist and Educationist and he previously coached Ghanaian team Ebusua Dwarfs.

In 2013, Ogum masterminded the qualification of Elmina Sharks to the Ghana Division One League.

He also worked with Ebusua Dwarfs in the Premier League during a short stint in 2016, he later resigned to pursue his Doctor of Philosophy programme (Ph.D). 

In October 2019, he was appointed as head coach of Karela United, the deal however terminated after disagreements with the management board.  

5. Desmond Offei

Desmond Offei won gold with the Ghana Under-20 team at the 2023 All-African Games held in Accra earlier this year.

He has also successfully led the Black Satellites to the next stage of the WAFU B U-20 tournament in Togo.

Coach Offei is on an upward trajectory, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he were to take on the top job in the coming years.

The 36-year-old UEFA A (Level 4) Licensed Professional football coach is a former U-18 Head Coach and U-21 coach at Royal Antwerp FC. He is also a former Lokeren U-21 and Lusitano SAD Head Coach.

He has coaching and scouting experience in Belgium, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.