Oti Akenteng accuses GFA of disrespecting local coaches over Black Stars coaching decisions

Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) technical director Francis Oti Akenteng has accused the association of disrespecting local coaches by repeatedly overlooking them for key roles with the national teams.

His comments follow the appointment of Black Queens coach Kim Lars Björkegren as interim technical team lead for Ghana’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Somalia.

The Swedish coach will be assisted by Medeama head coach Ibrahim Tanko and Godwin Attram, while Fatawu Dauda retains his position as goalkeeper coach.

Reacting to the appointment, Oti Akenteng questioned the decision to overlook Ghanaian coaches, insisting that several local tacticians have the ability to lead the Black Stars.

“There are local coaches who are capable of coaching the Black Stars,” he told Asempa FM.

“If they are always overlooked, that is a sign of disrespect, and if the local coaches are not respected, they will not have an interest in coaching,” he added.

The appointment comes as Ghana continue their search for a substantive head coach following the departure of Carlos Queiroz after a disappointing start to their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.

The GFA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, has established a five-member search committee to recommend a successor for the senior national team.

In the meantime, Björkegren and his assistants have been tasked with preparing the Black Stars for their two-legged encounter against Somalia next month.

Ghana have lost their opening two qualifying matches and are yet to register a point. They will be hoping to secure victories in both games to revive their chances of qualifying for the tournament.

The Black Stars are also eager to return to the continental showpiece after missing the previous edition, held in Morocco.