Newly appointed Black Stars coach Charles Kwablan Akonnor says he decision to choose controversial David Duncan as his assistant was influenced by a desire to surround himself with bold and uncompromising characters in his new role.
The confirmation of the duo as coach and deputy respectively raised a lot of eyebrows with many questioning if Duncan who is the older and more experienced of the two would be able to submit to a younger and relatively inexperienced Akonnor.
But explaining his decision, the ex-Ghana captain claims he wanted someone who could challenge him into making the best decisions as coach of the Black Stars, and believes Duncan is the right man.
“I was looking for someone who could look at me and tell me I am wrong or right. Someone who would be honest with me on what I do. Duncan was that man,” C.K Akonnor told Joy Sports.
Akonnor and Duncan were appointed coaches of the Black Stars in January following the end of Kwesi Appiah’s second stint with the senior national team.
The pair have already begun work with Duncan heavily involved with the scouting of local players for the Black Stars, with five named in the squad for the Nations Cup qualifiers in March, only to be cancelled due to the coronavirus.
Duncan has enormous experience on the local scene, having coached two of Ghana’s glamorous clubs Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.
Meanwhile, CK Akonnor has said that he will not hesitate to crack the whip on players whose actions are found to be in breach of the team’s agreed rules and regulations.
Akonnor’s reputation as a disciplinarian is well documented with some Ghanaians asserting that his uncompromising stand on issues and strict adherence to rules could prove to be his downfall as Stars coach.
Akonnor has also been tagged as a ‘quick-tempered’ person who loses his cool at the least provocation. But in an interview with TV3, Akonnor said that the claims are misconceptions by people who mistake his principled and disciplinarian nature to be a show of arrogance or hot-headedness.
He explained to TV3 that when the team agrees on a specific time for training, he expects that each member will honour it and not turn up later than scheduled.
“I’m a disciplined person, I don’t joke with my time. Once we decide that it is 5 o’clock, let’s do it 5. When they say six and you agree and you come 6:30, then it’s a problem and I won’t shy away from letting you know that it’s a problem. These people think it to be that I’m a quick-tempered person”, he said.
He is reported to have signed a two-year deal worth $25,000 every month.
Culled from Ghanaweb
