Former Black Maidens coach Masa-ud Didi Dramani has thrown his weight behind Charles Kwablan Akonnor to change the face of the senior national team.
“CK is a great character,” Didi tells Joy Sports. “He knows what the game is about.”
In January, Akonnor was named successor to Kwasi Appiah, whose tenure had ended at the end of last year. The former Hearts of Oak boss is yet to lead the Black Stars in any match due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, he has had lots of support from former teammates and colleagues within the coaching space – and Didi, also a former Asante Kotoko coach, is the latest.
He reckons CK is aware of the task handed him.
“He has the mandate and he knows the responsibilities the mandate comes with; he knows what he has to do to be able to chalk some successes for the country and for himself.” The backroom staff of coaches are often eulogised for the success chalked up by teams. In November 2019, Kwasi Appiah Appiah heaped praises on CK for Ghana’s win over South Africa in the 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier in Cape Coast.
Masa-ud advises that the best way succeed is surround yourself with the right people.
“I think that he has every opportunity to be able to surround himself with the right persons and then be able to make the right strategic plans in terms of the best way to go in terms of our football approach.”
“He needs all the support in order to be able to do the job,” Didi noted.
It has been suggested that CK was elevated to role of senior national team head coach “too early”, but Didi disagrees.
“I believe that every Ghanaian professional coach is a potential Black Stars material and need to be groomed into that phase. He needs to be given the support.”
“At this point, it doesn’t matter whether he is the choice or not. He needs to be given the support and the guidance in order to be able to change the face of our football,” he stated.
Didi worked as scout for Kwasi Appiah during the 2019 AFCON in Egypt and is now a transitional coach of FC Nordsjælland.
Source: Muftawu Nabila Abdulai (Joy Sports)