Ex-Hearts CEO: Appoint competent coach for Black Stars

A former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Accra Hearts of Oak, Neil Armstrong-Mortagbe, has called on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to ensure that its search team recruits a highly competent coach capable of revitalising the national team's performance.

Mortagbe, speaking exclusively to the Graphic Sports, believed the only way Ghana's lackluster performance in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) could be reverse was to get a coach who understood the terrain and the psychology of our football and the players' abilities.

To him, blaming the Black Stars players solely for Ghana’s abysmal performance would be a mistake, pointing instead to the technical team's inability to effectively utilise the talent at their disposal.

He stressed the necessity of appointing a coach with a deep understanding of African football and the ability to bring out the best in the Black Stars players.

"We should appoint a competent coach, a person who can study and properly understand the terrain in which African football is played, and for that matter a person who can bring out the best in our players," Mr Armstrong-Mortagbe stated in an interview with Graphic Sports.

Declineing standardDrawing on his extensive experience, the football administrator and one-time treasurer of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), questioned the team's inconsistent performance under Coach Chris Hughton, referencing successful encounters against strong opponents during the FIFA World Cup.

Mr Armstrong-Mortagbe expressed bewilderment at the Black Stars’ inability to secure victories against Cape Verde and Madagascar at the 2023 AFCON, as well as their inability to beat other opponents not considered strong compared to the teams they played at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

In addition to coaching concerns, he advocated an expanded scouting initiative to identify talent both domestically and internationally, highlighting the need to assess whether or not the players currently representing the national team were the best available.

“We still have a wide crop of players who are playing in the local league and places abroad. I think that we should widen the net and see whether position for position, we have our best. If we find that there are people better than those we have called our current stock, we must extend an invitation to those players,” he said.

Mr Armstrong-Mortagbe expressed disappointment in Coach Hughton's handling of local players, particularly Richmond Lamptey, and questioned the omission of the Asante Kotoko midfielder from Ghana’s match-day squads despite his stellar performance in the local league.

According to him, a player's league participation should not hinder their inclusion in the national team, especially when injuries create opportunities for talented replacements.

“The fact that a player plays locally does not mean he cannot play for the Black Stars. We have all seen what Richmond Lamptey has done for Kotoko and I struggled to understand why he was never used even when Majeed Ashimeru was injured. There were times when Richmond Lamptey was not even on the bench,” he noted.

While acknowledging the Ghana Football Association's managerial role, he absolved the association of blame for the team's performance, asserting that responsibility rested with the coaching staff. He underscored the importance of strategic decision-making in appointing a coach who understood the nuances of African football.

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