Sports News of Wednesday, 5 July 2023

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Kwasi Appiah, Paa Kwasi Fabin, three other coaches who could lead Medeama to Africa

From L-R: Fabin, Ogum, Appiah, Akonnor and Duncan From L-R: Fabin, Ogum, Appiah, Akonnor and Duncan

Winners of the 2022/23 Ghana Premier League Medeama SC will make their third appearance in the 2023/24 CAF Inter-Club Competition, having represented Ghana in the 2013 and 2015 CAF Confederations Cup.

The Ghanaian side will play in the CAF Champions League for the first time but will do that without their trainer Evans Adotey who masterminded their success due to license issues.

The 58-year-old gaffer who sat in as an interim coach but was earlier appointed as the technical director will not continue his mandate as the club is keen on naming a new coach who meets the requirements before the competition kicks off in August.

Per the new Confederation of African Football (CAF) conditions set for coaches in the clubs that will participate in the Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup next season.

CAF stipulated that the coach obtain a professional license (Pro - CAF), or at least an (A) license, in addition to the fact that the assistant coach in the technical staff should have a license (B) at least.

The coach or his assistant will not be allowed to sit on the bench to perform his duties from the stadium unless they hold such licenses.

GhanaWeb takes a look at 5 local coaches who are possible candidates for the Medeama role.

Paa Kwesi Fabian

The 64-year-old gaffer is currently unattached after leaving two-time Ghana Premier League winners Aduana Stars in the just-ended 2022/23betPawa Premier League. The UEFA-Pro License holder is one of the most experienced trainers, having had stints with Asante Kotoko, Inter Allies, Hearts of Oak, Ghana’s U17 and U20 among others. With his over 20 years of experience in the dug-out, his addition to the yellow and mauve team will be great.


Prosper Narteh Ogum

The former WAFA trainer has been without a club since parting ways with Asante Kotoko in June 2022. Ogum is a CAF License A holder and also doubles as a lecturer at the University of Cape Coast. He is regarded as one of the finest brains who has managed and qualified Elmina Sharks to the Division One League in 2013 and also guided Asante Kotoko to clinch the 2021/22Ghana Premier League title. 

James Kwa si Appiah

The former Ghanaian international has been heavily linked as the next coach of Asante Kotoko per reports. The 63-year-old CAF and UEFA License trainer last managed Kenpong Football Academy between 2021 and 2023 but spent the majority of his coaching career with the Black Stars where he first handed the team as the assistant coach from 2007 to 2015 under Claude le Roy and Milovan Rajevac and his second stint was 2012 to 2014 and the third from 2017 to 2020. 

Charles Kwabla Akonnor

The Ex-Ghanaian international was relieved of his duties with the Black Stars in 2021, having earlier served as the assistant coach of the team between 2019 and 2020. Akonnor is a CAF License A holder with 13 years of experience. He has managed Hearts of Oak, Dreams FC, Ashantigold, and Asante Kotoko where Kotoko won the 2019 GFA Normalization Committee Special Competition and qualified for the 2019/20 CAF Champions League.


David Duncan

The CAF License 'A' coach last managed Medeama SC in December 2022 after just four months with the club. He is one of the tactical geniuses with an eye for talent where he led Ghana’s U17 (Black Starlets) to finish as runners-up in the 2017 African Youth Championship in 2015, in Gambia. He has managed Free State Stars in South Africa, Asante Kotoko, Ashantigold, Accra Great Olympics, Sekondi Hasaacas, and Ghana’s U23 team (Back Meteors).


LSN/KPE