Ghana divided over choice of new coach

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the country’s government are sharply divided over the choice of the new coach who will lead them in next month’s crucial 2022 World Cup playoffs against arch-rivals Nigeria.

The GFA favour Otto Addo, who assisted sacked Milovan Rajevac at the disastrous AFCON in Cameroon, while the government will prefer former Newcastle and Brighton manager Chris Houghton.

This week, GFA president Kurt Oriaku met with Addo, who is a coach at German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, in respect of the top post.

Houghton, on the other hand, has been in Ghana and has reportedly met with the country’s President as well as holidaying Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has reportedly opted to play for Ghana after representing England at various age-grade levels.

GFA argue that Addo knows the current Black Stars players having worked with them as recently as at the AFCON in Cameroon.

However, they will need to agree with Dortmund on his release.

Houghton is widely seen as a rebuilder after what he showed at Newcastle and Brighton and he is believed to have the carriage to convince some of the country’s top stars like Southampton central defender Mohammed Salisu to reconsider playing for the Black Stars.

It must also be noted that his main backer is the government, which pays the salaries of the coach of the Black Stars.