Amid mounting calls for Manchester United's rising star Kobbie Mainoo to join the Black Stars squad, former Ghana midfielder Laryea Kingston has advocated for patience and a strategic approach in considering the youngster's inclusion.
The buzz surrounding Mainoo intensified following his stellar performances in the English Premier League, notably his game-winning goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers last Thursday.
While acknowledging the Ghana Football Association's (GFA) interest in Mainoo, Kingston, currently serving as an assistant coach for the Black Starlets, emphasized the importance of a systematic approach.
Speaking to Graphic Sports, Kingston emphasized the need for engaging with Mainoo and creating a welcoming environment before rushing into a national team call-up.
“Here is a case where we have a young boy coming up and he is doing well with Manchester United and all of a sudden Ghanaians say we should bring him. Have we thought about integration, how many times has he even come to Ghana?” he said.
Highlighting his own experience in integrating overseas-born talents like Junior Agogo and Quincy Owusu-Abeyie into the national team, Kingston stressed the importance of making Mainoo feel at home.
He urged for personal visits to Manchester United to connect with Mainoo and ensure his comfort before considering him for the national team.
Kingston emphasized the necessity of evaluating Mainoo's playing style and its alignment with the Black Stars' strategy and philosophy.
Additionally, he urged caution in assessing Mainoo's connection to Ghana and the potential challenges of integrating a player who may not have strong ties to the country despite his heritage.
“We need to talk to him, visit him at Manchester United and let him feel that he is welcome then slowly you lure him into the environment. Agogo and Quincy and all those people, some of us were part of their integration. We helped them to fit in and feel comfortable,” he recalled.
The search for a new coach for the Ghana national team has garnered significant attention, with more than 600 applications received from coaches worldwide.
Following the dismissal of Chris Hughton due to the team's underwhelming performance at the AFCON 2023, where they failed to secure a single victory in the group stage, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) formed a committee to oversee the selection process.
Led by Vice President Mark Addo, the committee aims to appoint a coach who embodies Ghana's football ethos, possesses a winning mentality, and aligns with the team's philosophy.
Notable applicants include former Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath, ex-West Ham coach Nikola Jurcevic, and former Black Stars assistant coach Maxwell Konadu, among others. Michael Osei, former coach of Bibiani Goldstars, is also among the applicants.
The GFA set a deadline for applications, which has now passed, and the selection process is underway. Candidates must have a minimum of 15 years of coaching experience, along with strong disciplinary and tactical skills.
Coaches from various continents, including Europe, South America, North America, and Africa, as well as local Ghanaian coaches, are vying for the prestigious role.
Fans are eagerly awaiting the GFA's decision, expected to be announced later this month, as they hope for a new coach capable of leading the Black Stars to success on the international stage.
In the aftermath of Ghana's disappointing performance at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Laryea Kingston, a former player for the national team, has expressed his eagerness to step into the role of the next Black Stars' head coach.
With coach Chris Hughton and his staff dismissed after Ghana's group-stage exit, Kingston, who currently serves as the assistant coach for Ghana's U17 team, sees an opportunity to contribute to the team's revival.
During Hughton's tenure, Ghana failed to secure a victory at the tournament, facing a defeat to Cape Verde and settling for draws against Egypt and Mozambique.
Kingston, with over 40 appearances for the Black Stars, emphasized the importance of considering a competent local coach or an experienced expatriate coach for the vacant position.
“Find a local coach or someone that we know is for us who is competent, then if you are bringing an expatriate coach, look for one who has the experience to support him [local coach].“
"I will accept and do it with ease. I know the level at which I am now," affirmed the 43-year-old, who holds a UEFA B coaching license acquired in February 2022.
Kingston has been actively involved in youth development, previously working at the Right to Dream Academy before taking up his current role with Ghana's U17s.
Asante Kotoko has officially ended its contract with forward Abdul Fatawu Safiu due to health-related reasons.
The termination comes after the club conducted a pre-competition medical assessment, as mandated by the Ghana Football Association (GFA), and identified underlying health issues during further tests.
The club entered into an employment agreement with Safiu three weeks ago, meeting registration deadlines set by the GFA.
However, subsequent medical evaluations by the club's medical team revealed conditions that could potentially sideline the player for an extended period.
In light of this information, Asante Kotoko, after considering the welfare of both the club and the player, concluded that continuing the employment contract would not be in the best interest of either party.
The specific details of Safiu's medical condition have been communicated to the player.
Additionally, the GFA has rejected Fatawu's registration, further influencing the club's decision to terminate the relationship.
Asante Kotoko wishes Abdul Fatawu Safiu the best for the future, emphasizing that he remains part of the club family and is welcome to contribute in any capacity in the future.
Former President of Ghana and the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama, has offered a pathway to revive the country's football following the Black Stars' abysmal display at AFCON 2023.
According to the ex-president, his next government will join forces with the Ghana Football Association to build a team that will have a core from the domestic league.
He also mentioned the desire to nurture homegrown players and offer them to the right local clubs to ensure they have the right exposure before travelling abroad.
"We just came from the Africa Cup of Nations and we performed abysmally and disastrously," he said.
"We performed abysmally because we are not growing our football and so we are going to work with the Ghana Football Association to start catching them young so that we can train them and give them to local teams to gain experience before if they want to travel abroad they can travel," he added.
John Mahama believes the right balance between homegrown players and foreign-based players will help build a strong national team.
"We will build the new Black Stars based on homegrown players. Domestic players who have trained together for a long time and work as a team and then we will bring the foreign players to come and blend with them," he continued.
"If you bring only foreign players, they don't play together and play in their individual teams and then when it's time for competition and tell them to come and play, it won't work. The core of the Black Stars must be made of domestic players.
"We are going to overhaul Ghana football in collaboration with the Football Association."
Amir Abdou, the head coach of the Mauritanian National Men’s Football Team, has emerged as a prospective candidate to fill the vacancy left by Chris Hughton as the head coach of the Black Stars, according to reports from the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
Mauritania football expert Lassana Camara revealed that Abdou's impressive performance with Mauritania at the 2023 AFCON in Cote D’Ivoire has garnered attention beyond Ghana.
Under Abdou's guidance, Mauritania secured their first-ever AFCON win and advanced to the round of 16 for the first time in the nation's history.
Abdou's coaching prowess has not gone unnoticed, with Burkina Faso, Algeria, and Cote D’Ivoire also expressing interest in securing his services.
This isn't Abdou's first success on the continental stage, as he previously guided Comoros to the round of 16 at the 2021 AFCON, marking a historic achievement for the island country. Notably, Comoros secured a memorable 3-2 victory over Ghana during the group stage of that tournament.
Ghana's recent disappointment at the 2023 AFCON, where they failed to secure a victory against Cape Verde, Mozambique, and Egypt, has prompted a coaching change.
Chris Hughton was relieved of his duties, leading to the establishment of a five-man committee tasked with appointing a new head coach for the Black Stars within 21 days.
Former Ghana President, John Dramani Mahama feels building the senior men national team around local players is the best and that's what he intend doing when he is voted into office again.
Former National Democratic Congress (NDC) Flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, unveils plans to rejuvenate the Ghanaian national football team, the Black Stars, by shifting the focus towards local players.
This initiative comes in the aftermath of the Black Stars' disappointing performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast, where they faced elimination at the group stage, managing only two points in their quest to end a 42-year trophy drought.
Mahama emphasizes the NDC's strategy, highlighting the importance of building a foundation around local talent and collaborating closely with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to establish a robust team.
Reflecting on Ghana's recent AFCON campaign, Mahama criticizes the lack of football development and pledges to nurture young talents from an early age, channeling them into local teams for experience before potential international exposure.
"We just came from the African Cup of Nations and we performed abysmally disastrously. We performed abysmally because we are not growing our football and so and we are going to work with the Football Association to start catching them young from when they are young so that we can train them and give them to local teams they will play get experience before if they even want to travel abroad they can travel”
The former flagbearer outlines the vision for the "new Black Stars" based on homegrown players, advocating for domestic players who have trained together for an extended period and worked as a cohesive team. Mahama emphasizes the need for a blend with foreign players, emphasizing that bringing only foreign players doesn't ensure effective teamwork.
“We will build the new Black Stars based on homegrown players domestic players who have trained together for a long time and worked as a team. And then we will bring the foreign ones to come and blend with them. If you bring only foreign players they don't play together in their teams and then when it is time for competition you bring them and come and tell them to play if won't work."
Mahama details the NDC's comprehensive plan to overhaul Ghana's football landscape, focusing on collaboration with the Ghana Football Association.
“The core of the Black Stars must be made of domestic players who have played together for a long time we keep camping them and they keep practising together and when we are going to a competition we can bring some of the foreign players to join the domestic players and you see that we will have a better team and so we are going to overhaul Ghana football in collaboration with the Ghana Football Association," he added.
The core principle involves forming a Black Stars squad primarily composed of domestic players who have trained and played together for an extended period. This strategy aims to create a stronger, more cohesive team for international competitions, addressing the challenges highlighted by Ghana's recent AFCON campaign that included a defeat against Cape Verde and two draws against Egypt and Mozambique.
The 2024 edition of the J.A Kuffour Cup is set to happen later this month in Kumasi between giants Asante Kotoko and Nsoatreman FC.
The Competitions Department has rescheduled two MTN FA Cup Round of 16 games following the request by the John Agyekum Kufuor Foundation to organize a football match between Asante Kotoko and Nsoatreman FC.
The approval of the Cup game has resulted in the rescheduling of the Karela United vs Asante Kotoko game as well as the tie between Nsoatreman FC and Berekum Chelsea.
Karela United will now host Asante Kotoko at Aliu Mahama stadium on Tuesday, February 13, while Berekum Chelsea trek to Nsoatre to take on Nsoatreman FC at Nana Konamansa Park on Wednesday, February 14, 2024.
The Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association will have an interactive session with the media at Lancaster Hotel, Kumasi on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
The Ghana Football Association has granted approval for the request of the Kufour Foundation to organise a match in honour of the former President on Sunday, February 18, 2024 at the Baba Yara Sports stadium.
