The Ghana Premier League has been known over the years as one of the leagues that sack coaches frequently.
We know the track record of the European clubs and the North Africans in terms of sacking coaches as they are ruthless. Ghana can surely wrestle with them for position in terms of the sacking race.
It took the Ghana Premier League three different months before the first sacking was made. I praised all the clubs and their leaders for choosing consistency in everything soon after round 7.
Hearts of Oak’s Ivorian tactician Aboubakar Ouattara was predicted to be the first coach to be sacked. He was under immense pressure after round two, where Hearts of Oak was bottom of the Ghana Premier League table, but things changed, especially after the 2-0 away victory over Medeama in Tarkwa.
Yaw Acheampong Joachim became the favourite after round 4 as his side slipped to the 17th position. Aduana Stars were struggling after failing to record a win so many thought their head coach was going to be the first to leave his role as head coach.
November 11 was the day we had our first sacking. Asare Bediako of Young Apostles parted ways with the club per their communique. The Apostles had won two out of the ten games played. They were sitting 14th on the table with just a point above the relegation zone after round 10.
Basake Holy Stars and Vision FC were 10th and 12th on the log but there were no signs Abdulai Gazale and Nana Agyeman’s jobs were under scrutiny.
As expected, newly promoted sides normally struggle because the environment is new, and their seniors are at least a step ahead of them.
Asante Kotoko’s Prosper Ogum could have lost his job after four successive defeats where the fans even stormed their training grounds and demanded Prosper’s resignation.
The club’s management intervened and decided to keep the head coach because the patron of the club, Otumfuor Osei Tutu II, is in support of Narteh Ogum. Fortunately, for the WAFA boss, he has been able to turn things around now.
From November 11 up until 25th November, one more manager was shown the exit door. Yaw Joaquim Acheampong (Aduana Stars) was finally sacked.
On Tuesday 17th December, two more managers were confirmed to have lost their jobs. Nurudeen Amadu, who won the league last season for Samartex, mutually parted ways with the Samraboi-based club due to poor results, and Nebojsa Kapor of Medeama, who had a brilliant start to the campaign could not reach an agreement to extend his one year stay so decided to leave.
It could have been more had the club not decided to keep Prosper Ogum at the expense of the fans’ wish.
The Ghana Premier League table is so tight after week 13, and many managers have been predicted to lose their jobs before the first round ends.
Paa Kwesi Fabian, per the rumours, is on the verge of quitting his role as the coach of Legon Cities. Sources say that the Royals have not paid any member of their team in the last four months. It is the reason Legon Cities are lying at the bottom of the table.
Dreams FC and Accra Lions are second and third from bottom, but nothing seems that their respective head coaches, Karim Zito and James Francis, will be sacked because of their pedigrees in the clubs.
Karela and Nsoatreman’s head coaches, Jimmy Cobbllah and Yaw Preko, respectively, could be the next managers to be sacked, per the bookmakers. These clubs are struggling as the results have been very horrible.
The GPL managerial sacking race is in full swing. It adds something special to the league because it’s the coaches that all the team’s plans depend upon.
14 more managers remain at the helm. More than four are in trouble now, not more than five can talk about job safety.
