Former Ghana international Kwadwo Asamoah is urging for a paradigm shift in football management, advocating for the active involvement of former players with their wealth of expertise and experience.
Asamoah’s comments come in the aftermath of Ghana’s disappointing performance at the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where the team bowed out in the group stage, extending a streak of early exits in major tournaments.
The Black Stars’ quest to end a 42-year trophy drought faced another setback, prompting Asamoah to highlight the need for practical knowledge on and off the pitch to revive the sport in Ghana.
“I think we should give more chances to the footballers to run football. I always say you might have a degree about so many things, but the things the footballer will know on the pitch and outside the pitch because he has been through it and he has learned it. He has that experience,” expressed Asamoah on the Prrrr show of Kwadwo Sheldon Studios.
The former Juventus player emphasised that academic qualifications alone may not be sufficient to address the challenges faced by Ghanaian football. The 35-year-old believes that the practical experience gained by footballers during their playing careers equips them with insights crucial for improving the state of the game.
“So those kinds of things, I am not saying we should put all footballers. Probably their ideas and experiences. Most of the people at the FA haven’t been to Europe to experience how football is; maybe we have people that are good in different ways,” he added.
Having played a key role for the Black Stars from 2008 to 2019, featuring in 18 AFCON matches across four editions, Asamoah now contributes to football development by partnering with his former club Juventus in running a football academy in Ghana.
His advocacy for the inclusion of former players in football management aims to bring a fresh perspective and practical insight to the challenges faced by the sport in the country.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) on Tuesday dismissed the coach of the Black Stars Chris Hughton and are actively searching a replacement having unveiled a five-member committee earlier on Thursday spearheaded by the vice president of the association, Mark Addo.