Former Black Stars head coach Charles Kwabla Akonnor has expressed confidence that Ghana’s senior national team is now on the right path with a clear succession plan for the future.
Akonnor’s remarks come in the wake of head coach Otto Addo’s decision to field several debutants during the recently concluded 2025 Unity Cup in London, where Ghana tested a new crop of players in the absence of key stars.
Notably, established names like Thomas Partey, Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, and Inaki Williams were all left out of the squad. In their place, five new players—Joseph Tetteh Anang, Aaron Essel, Caleb Yirenkyi, Abdul Aziz Issah, and Mohammed Gaddafi Fuseini—were handed their first senior national team call-ups.
Speaking to Graphic Sports, Akonnor, who managed the Black Stars from 2020 to 2021, said he was impressed with the potential of the newcomers and lauded the technical team for giving youth a chance.
“Potentially, the young players have good talent,” Akonnor stated. “In some time to come, this generation will fade, and it will give the coach an opportunity for replacement.”
He emphasized that the current strategy of integrating young players shows deliberate planning and a long-term vision for the national team. “We are preparing for the future, and this is how it should be. If we continue on this path, Ghana will not struggle when the current stars are no longer available,” he added.
At the Unity Cup, Ghana suffered a 2-1 defeat to Nigeria in their opening match but responded strongly with a dominant 4-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago to secure third place in the mini-tournament.
The Black Stars will reconvene in September for Matchday 7 and 8 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where they will face Chad away and host Mali.
Ghana currently leads Group I and remains on course for a return to the World Cup, with momentum building both on the pitch and in the development of a new generation of talent.
