Stephen Appiah, a former Ghanaian international, has suggested that Black Stars head coaches should be offered long-term contracts.
The former captain of the Black Stars contends that unlike club football where coaches train with their players on a regular basis, it takes a considerable amount of time for national team coaches to become familiar with their players.
He argues that offering coaches one- or two-year deals creates undue pressure on them to perform within a short period. In an interview with Sompa FM, he noted that the short-term contracts imposed on coaches by the Ghana Football Association are often too brief, and that coaches need adequate time to get to know and understand their players.
“We can win games but once you lose two or three games, then you get sacked. For me, it will take time to win a trophy.
“If you look at Chelsea at the moment, they have quality players but they will need time to understand themselves.
“Coaching a national team is not like club football. With club football, you are always training with the team. Sometimes, you will only have access to the players only when it is an international break to train with them so I believe coaches must be given long-term contracts to be able to build a good team,” he added.
The Ghana Football Association recently appointed Chris Hughton as the new Black Stars manager, replacing Otto Addo, who held the position for less than a year. The former Tottenham Hotspur manager signed an 18-month contract with the GFA in February 2023.
