Among a number of stakeholders in Ghana, there has been this preconception that a lot of local coaches are unqualified to lead clubs.
In the last few years, expatriates who were deemed to have the right qualifications have graced the local scene.
Even today, clubs like Dreams FC, Inter Allies and others have foreigners in their books.
The minimum requirement for any manager who wishes to become a head coach in any Ghanaian top-flight league is a CAF A coaching license (UEFA A for expatriates).
Kotoko’s move to replace Johnson Smith was unfortunate but the former Karela United boss did not have the required license to lead them in the long term.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) recently released a list 153 Ghanaian coaches who have acquired their CAF A coaching licenses.
Here are five members of that list who you probably didn’t know are qualified to manage a Ghana Premier League (GPL) club.
Samuel Osei Kuffour
Kuffour needs little introduction. He was one of the best defenders ever produced by the nation with a lot of experience.
If you watched SuperSport a lot in the past, you would have seen the 44-year-old doing some analysis.
Due to his little involvement in coaching, one would assume that he can not lead any club but that is certainly not the case.
In fact, the former Bayern Munich man attained the license in 2013 according to the list provided by the Ghana Football Association.
Augustine Ahinful
Ahinful is more popular among the older folks. He participated in the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship, 1996 Summer Olympics and in the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ahinful did not score a goal for the senior team but was seen as a good addition for the side.
The 46-year-old had a fine career as a footballer, training with the likes of Borussia Dortmund and others.
He has also been barely involved in coaching but he also attained the qualification in 2013.
Anthony Baffoe
Baffoe has the honor of being the first Ghanaian expatriate player to feature for the national team.
He notably featured in the national team’s run to the 1992 AFCON final. He was also in the squad for the tournament two years later.
The 55-year-old made a name for himself in Germany during his playing days. His current case will be tricky for GPL clubs as he holds the position of Deputy Secretary General for Football & Development for CAF.
In 2013, Baffoe attained his CAF A license. GPL clubs can have a crack but will be unlikely to get him.
Nii Odartey Lamptey
Lamptey had quite the ride in his footballing career featuring for the likes of Anderlecht, Aston Villa and many others.
He also made 38 appearances for the Black Stars, netting eight goals.
After retirement, the 46-year-old teamed up with Charles Kwablan Akonnor to manage Sekondi Wise Fighters in 2009. He attained the needed qualifications in 2013.
Currently, he owns and manages a football academy in Elmina.
Abubakari Damba
Damba played football as a goalkeeper and also featured for the Black Stars.
He was part of the senior national team squad for the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations.
The veteran was Ghana’s goalkeeping coach until 2007 where he left due to corruption accusations.
In 2013, Damba attained the needed qualification to lead a GPL side.
Source: Joy Sports
