Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) Vice President George Afriyie has raised serious allegations about the motivations behind certain coaching appointments within the Black Stars, Ghana’s national football team. Afriyie, who served under ex-GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi, claims that current GFA President Kurt Okraku appointed C.K. Akonnor as the head coach of the Black Stars with an ulterior motive: to exercise control over him and the team.
According to Afriyie, Kurt Okraku’s decision to sack Kwasi Appiah from his role as head coach was influenced by Okraku’s goal to push the Black Stars into the top 10 teams in the world rankings. “Kurt said he would ensure that the Black Stars are ranked among the top 10 teams in the world. Therefore, Kwasi Appiah is not qualified to be the head coach of the Black Stars. This was Kurt Okraku,” Afriyie stated, implying that Okraku felt Appiah could not meet these lofty expectations.
However, Afriyie questioned the appointment of Akonnor, who had previously coached under Okraku. He alleged that Akonnor was selected not based on his qualifications, but rather because Okraku saw him as someone he could easily influence. “From his own assessment, the deputy C.K. Akonnor, who was his own coach, was qualified. He didn’t let C.K. lead but only appointed him to manipulate him,” Afriyie said, suggesting that Okraku wanted a coach he could control in crucial team decisions.
Afriyie also claimed that Akonnor himself eventually realized he was being used, even though he initially resisted such suggestions. “When some of you were saying it, C.K. didn’t want to admit it, but he eventually admitted after he was sacked,” Afriyie added, indicating that Akonnor came to terms with the situation only after he was removed from his position.
The former Vice President further highlighted that one of the primary issues faced by Akonnor during his tenure was the lack of autonomy in player selection. “This is public knowledge, this is everywhere. [Having a final say on player selection] was always a challenge,” Afriyie stated, underscoring the difficulty for coaches to make independent decisions regarding the team roster.
These allegations bring to light concerns over the internal dynamics within the Ghana Football Association and the influence wielded by its leadership over team management. The claims, if true, raise questions about the independence of the Black Stars’ coaching staff and the integrity of team selection processes, as well as the pressures on coaches to align with administrative agendas.
