{
  "id": 16607396,
  "title": "Oti Akenteng slams GFA for ‘disrespect’ of local coaches in national team appointments",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/oti-akenteng-slams-gfa-for-disrespect-of-local-coaches-in-national",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-26T13:20:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/oti-akenteng-slams-gfa-for-disrespect-of-local-coaches-in-national-team-appointments/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Technical Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Francis Oti Akenteng, has criticized the GFA for their perceived disrespect towards local coaches when appointing them to lead the national team. This accusation came into the spotlight after Kim Lars Björkegren was appointed as the interim technical team lead for the Black Stars in preparation for the upcoming matches against Somalia in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. The Black Stars have experienced a series of losses, starting with a 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast and a 4-2 loss to Gambia, which resulted in the departure of former Portuguese head coach Carlos Queiroz and his subsequent parting of ways with the GFA. Björkegren will be supported by Medeama head coach Ibrahim Tanko and Godwin Attram, with Fatawu Dauda retaining the role of goalkeeper coach. Akenteng acknowledged the presence of many experienced local coaches in Ghana and expressed his willingness to take on an interim coaching role if given the opportunity. He stated in an interview with Asempa FM, \"There are local coaches who are capable of coaching the Black Stars.\" He emphasized that if local coaches are consistently overlooked, it represents a sign of disrespect and would diminish their motivation to coach. The Black Stars currently sit at the bottom of Group C in the AFCON qualifiers, and they are set to face Somalia in November. Following their qualification matches, Björkegren will shift his focus to the Black Queens, who are competing for a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. The play-off preliminary phase for the women's tournament is scheduled to take place between November 24 and December 5, 2026.",
  "summary": "Akenteng’s statement follows Kim Lars Björkegren’s appointment as the interim technical team lead for the Black Stars ahead of the doubleheader against Somalia in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}