Former GFA Vice President George Afriyie has accused Kurt Okraku’s administration of using a ‘trial and error’ method for choosing national team coaches.
Okraku’s tenure as leader has seen the Black Stars cycle through five different coaches, but they still have achieved little in international tournaments.
Kwesi Appiah’s dismissal in 2020 led to the appointment of CK Akonnor. Despite Akonnor’s departure, Milovan Rajevac’s tenure as manager was short-lived, ending after the team’s early exit from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Following his appointment as interim manager, Otto Addo guided the team to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. However, Addo stepped down following his team’s tournament elimination.
After serving as a technical advisor, Chris Hughton took on the manager role, but the Black Stars were eliminated in the group stage of the 2023 AFCON that was held in Ivory Coast. This poor performance resulted in his dismissal.
The GFA reappointed Otto Addo to a long-term contract in March 2024. However, even with him at the helm, the Black Stars couldn’t secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON.
In an interview, Afriyie criticized the GFA’s approach to coaching, arguing that frequent changes have caused uncertainty and a lack of stability.
He voiced his disapproval of the association’s continual experimentation with the coaching staff, arguing that the rapid turnover indicates poor decision-making.
“Coach CK [Akonnor] was sacked. You brought in Milovan Rajevac, and Milo was sacked, and they brought in Otto Addo. Otto [Addo] said he was not ready for the job in the long term,” he said.
“He [Otto Addo] left, then we brought in Chris Hughton, Chris was sacked, and Otto Addo was brought in again. So if you are doing this within five years, what are you doing, is it not true and error?
“Look at Otto [Addo] being an inexperienced coach. We agreed that Otto, until taking over this job, had never been a head coach of any serious team.
“Check his assistants; none of his assistants are experienced either. Elsewhere if you bring an inexperienced coach, you will get the coach to bring in very good people to be his deputies or assistants. But in this case, the coach is inexperienced.
“Otto Addo took us to the World Cup with Mas Ud Didi Dramani as an assistant coach, Chris Hughton as an assistant coach, George Boateng as an assistant coach, that was what we had before,” he added.