Unpaid youth coaches could face pressure over player selection – Augustine Arhinful

Former Ghana international Augustine Arhinful has cautioned that not paying the coaches of the country's junior national teams could make them susceptible to improper influence over player selection. Speaking on Ahenfie FM, Arhinful, a former striker, criticized the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for the poor working conditions faced by local coaches and their lack of independence in developing young talent for the senior national team.

He warned that if these issues are not addressed, it could have a detrimental effect on Ghana's football future. Arhinful pointed out that local coaches in charge of the junior teams often don't receive payment, while the Black Stars head coach and assistant do. He questioned why this disparity exists and urged the GFA to improve the remuneration for junior national team coaches.

Arhinful expressed concerns that unpaid coaches may be influenced to select players who can offer financial compensation in return. He emphasized that these challenges primarily affect the junior national teams, where players develop and potentially progress to the senior side. He believes that better working conditions for youth coaches would enhance accountability, protect the integrity of selection decisions, and ensure that players are chosen based on merit.