Sudan assistant coach Ignatius Osei-Fosu believes Ghana’s next Black Stars manager must possess the leadership qualities and personality needed to unlock the full potential of the players.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is currently searching for a new head coach following the departure of Carlos Queiroz after a disappointing September international window.
The Black Stars endured a difficult start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, losing 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké before suffering a shocking 4-2 defeat to The Gambia in Accra after surrendering a two-goal advantage.
The results have increased pressure on the GFA to make the right appointment, with a five-member committee formed by the association and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation tasked with identifying a suitable replacement.
According to Osei-Fosu, the next coach should not only be judged by tactical ability but also by his capacity to inspire and manage a squad filled with quality players.
He believes Ghana already has players with the technical ability to understand modern football demands, and the key challenge is getting them to consistently perform at their highest level.
“Nobody in the world is now going to teach Semenyo how to make forward runs. Nobody is going to teach Kudus how to make a forward pass. It is about how you inspire them to play,” Osei-Fosu said.
The former Dreams FC coach explained that even the best tactical instructions will have little impact if players are not mentally prepared to execute them.
“If a player doesn’t want to run, no matter how much you have taught him where to run to, he will not make the run,” he added.
Osei-Fosu further highlighted that a coach’s ability to motivate players can come through various approaches, including tactical ideas, training methods and building strong relationships within the team.
“If you don’t have a coach who can inspire players to play, inspiration to play can be using tactics, tactical approach. It can even be your training session. It can be your personal approach towards human beings.”
With Ghana aiming to recover from a poor start to the AFCON qualifiers, the incoming Black Stars coach will be expected to restore confidence, improve performances and get the best out of the country’s talented squad.
