Ghana U19 head coach Abdul Karim Zito has revealed that he is deliberately holding back his coaching ambitions to protect Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku.
The 2021 U20 Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach believes he is more than qualified to be part of the Black Stars technical team but has refrained from applying for the role to avoid putting Okraku in a difficult position.
Zito explained that his close relationship with Okraku could lead to accusations of favoritism if he were to pursue the Black Stars job, potentially causing significant distress to the GFA President.
“When we failed at the AFCON, there were insults all around. Applying for the Black Stars job would have been like adding salt to the wound. Imagine if people heard that Zito had applied for the job—Kurt would die. He’s a human being. I don’t want him to die, so I had to say no, even if it meant harming my own career,” Zito told Joy Sports.
Zito emphasized that his decision was not due to a lack of qualifications. “I know I am qualified [to manage the Black Stars], but I didn’t. Results make a good coach, and I keep getting the results. The criteria they brought—I qualified. I’ve been coaching since 1988. What more do I need to prove?”
Reflecting on the process that has seen other coaches, like Maxwell Konadu and Ibrahim Tanko, given opportunities, Zito questioned why he had not been considered. “Even those who set the criteria—I was coaching before some of them were born. Why did Maxwell [Konadu] get the job, why did [Ibrahim] Tanko get it, but not Zito? If it’s about qualifications, I qualify. But this is Ghana, so I have to think carefully before applying for anything.”
