Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) Technical Director Francis Oti Akenteng has called on football authorities to give Ghanaian coaches greater recognition and consideration in the search for a substantive head coach for the Black Stars.

He believes local coaches possess the technical ability and experience required to manage the senior national team and should not be sidelined in favour of foreign trainers.

Speaking on Asempa FM, Oti Akenteng warned that the continued neglect of Ghanaian coaches could undermine their confidence and discourage them from seeking opportunities to lead the national team.

“There are local coaches who are capable of coaching the Black Stars,” he said.

“If they are always overlooked, that is a sign of disrespect, and if the local coaches are not respected, they will not have an interest in coaching,” he added.

His comments come amid growing debate over the Ghana Football Association and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation’s decision to appoint a foreign coach to lead the Black Stars’ interim technical team while the search for a permanent manager continues.

Swedish coach Kim Lars Björkegren has been appointed to head the interim technical team, working alongside Ghanaian coaches Ibrahim Tanko and Godwin Attram. Former Black Stars goalkeeper Fatawu Dauda has also been named goalkeepers’ coach ahead of the team’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Somalia.

The composition of the interim technical team has attracted criticism from sections of the football community, with concerns raised about the level of confidence placed in Ghanaian coaches despite their experience and knowledge of the domestic football environment.

Oti Akenteng’s position adds to calls for the football governing body to create more opportunities for local coaches to demonstrate their abilities at the highest level of the game.

The Black Stars are currently searching for a substantive head coach following the departure of Carlos Queiroz after a disappointing start to Ghana’s 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.

Ghana suffered defeats against Ivory Coast and The Gambia in their opening two Group C matches, leaving the team without a point and at the bottom of the group.

The results have intensified pressure on the GFA and the Sports Ministry to find a coach capable of restoring confidence in the team and improving its performances in the remaining qualifiers.

The two institutions are expected to announce a permanent head coach in November as preparations continue to rebuild the Black Stars and revive their hopes of qualifying for the continental tournament.