List of All Ghana Black Stars Coaches Till Date

As long as it is the list of all Ghana Black Stars coaches you’re looking for, I have got it all covered in this article.

But first, let me take care of the question of who the current Black Stars coach is? The name of the New Ghana coach is Charles ‘CK’ Akonnor.

I will talk more about him by the end of his post.

Let me now reel out list of Ghana national football team managers.

I will talk about their assistant coaches in another article.

Ghana Black Stars Coaches

George Edward Ainsley (1958–59)

Ghana’s first-ever coach Ainsley was born on the 15th of April 1915 and died April 1985.

The Englishman was head coach of Ghana’s Black Stars between 1958 and 1959.

Aside from Ghana, he also coached SK Brann (1955), Pakistan (1959–1962), Israel (1963–1964), Workington (1965–1966) and USL Dunkerque (1971).

Adreas Sjolberg (1959–62)

The Swede took over from Ainsley in 1959 but there wasn’t much under his spell as one of Ghana Black Stars coaches.

József Ember (1962)

The Hungarian former footballer turned coach succeeded Sjolberg and had a very short spell as Ghana’s coach.

Ember also coached Nigeria’s National team too between 1965–1968.

Other teams he coached include Gamma FC (1945–1946) and Újpest FC (1949–1950).

Charles Kumi Gyamfi (1963–65)

Gyamfi was born on 4th December 1929 and died on September 1st 2015 at the age of 85 right there in Accra, Ghana.

He was the first indigenous coach of the Black Stars, winning the African Cup of Nations three times (1963, 1965 and 1982) making the first to do so.

He was also the first African to play for a German club side when he joined Fortuna Düsseldorf in 1960.

And how about Ghana’s Olympic debut at the 1964 Summer Olympics? He was the coach who led that team.

Here are the other teams he managed: Africa XI (1972), Municipal Club (1983–1984), Somalia U21 (1984), AFC Leopards (1988–1991), Ashanti Gold (1992–1993).

Carlos Alberto Parreira (1967)

The Brazilian was born 27 February 1943. He is still alive and currently aged 78.

Those old enough will remember him in the 1994 World Cup were he led Seleção to victory.

The other teams he has coached aside from Ghana include Fluminense (1974), Fluminense (1975), Kuwait (assistant coach 1976–1977), Kuwait (1978–1982), Brazil (1983), Fluminense (1984), United Arab Emirates (1985–1988), Saudi Arabia (1988–1990), United Arab Emirates (1990–1991), Bragantino (1991), Brazil (1991–1994), Valencia (1994–1995), Fenerbahçe (1995–1996), São Paulo (1996), MetroStars (1997), Saudi Arabia (1998), Fluminense (1999–2000),  Atlético Mineiro (2000), Santos (2000), Internacional (2001–2002), Corinthians (2002–2003), Brazil (2003–2006), South Africa (2007–2008), Fluminense (2009), South Africa (2009–2010), Brazil (technical director 2012–2014).

Karl-Heinz Marotzke (1968–70)

Born 29 March 1934, Marotzke coached Ghana from 1968 to 1970, after which he coached the Green Eagles of Nigeria from 1970 to 1971 and 1974.

The other teams he managed are SF Hamborn 07 (1963–1964), VfL Osnabrück (1964–1966), Schalke 04 (1967) and Botswana (2001).

Ben Koufie (1970–73)

After retiring as a player, Koufie became the second indigenous coach of the Ghanaian national team.

He was born 5 June 1932 but died 4 July 2016 at the age of 84.

Koufie managed other teams which include Asante Kotoko (1971), Great Olympics (1972), Africa Sports (1976–1979), Akosombo Akotex (1979–1980) and Zimbabwe (1988–1992).

Plans to rename the Cape Coast Sports Stadium after Koufie is yet to see the light of day.

Nicolae “Nicușor” Dumitru (1973–74)

The Romanian lived between 12 December 1928 – 8 August 2005.

Other teams managed by Dumitru include Dinamo București (1959–1962), Victoria București (1965–1967), SC Bacău (1967–1969), Dinamo București (1969–1970), Dinamo București (1971–1972), Dinamo București (1974–1976), SC Bacău (1976–1978), Dinamo București (1982–1984), SC Bacău (1984–1986), Victoria București (1986–1988), Argeș Pitești (1988–1989), Progresul Brăila (1991) and Progresul București (1993).

Karl-Heinz Weigang (1974–75)

Weigang lived for more than half a century between 24 August 1935 and 12 June 2017 before he died of a heart attack at the age of 81.

The other teams the German coached include Sri Lanka (1964–1965), South Vietnam (1966–1968), Mali (1970–1973), Malaysia (1979–1982), Cameroon (youth teams 1982–1986), Canon Yaoundé (1987–1988), Gabon (1989–1994), Vietnam (1995–1997), Perak FA (1997–2000), Johor FA (2005–2006) and Perak TBG F.C. (2016–2017).

FIFA Order of Merit and CAF Order of Merit were conferred on Weigang in 1998 for his role in Asian and African football.

O. C. Sampaio (1977–78)

Oswaldo Carlos Sampaio was one of the coaches who failed to qualify Ghana for the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations, thus his short-lived spell was a disastrous one.

Fred Osam-Duodu (1978–81)

Born 4 June 1938, Osam-Duodu has coached Ghana’s national teams at different levels: U-17 (AKA the “Black Starlets), U-20 and the senior team, and at different times beginning from 1978 to 2007.

He won the 1978 Africa Cup of Nations, the 1993 African U-20 Cup of Nations and a silver medal with The Gambia U17 (the only foreign team he managed) at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Osam-Duodu died on October 4th 2016 in Accra.

Charles Kumi Gyamfi (1982–83)

Gyamfi had already coached Ghana between 1963–65, this was his second coming.

Emmanuel Kwasi Afranie (1984)

Afranie was born on December 24, 1943 and managed Hearts of Oak, Asante Kotoko and the Ghana national team. 

Aside from those teams he also coached Ghana women’s national football team (the Black Queens) between 1998–1999. Afranie died 9 November 2016 at the age of 72.

Herbert Addo (1984)

Born 24 June 1951, Addo won Ghana Premier League Champions with Aduana Stars F(first-timers in the league) in 2010 as well as with Accra Hearts of Oak in 2002.

He also coached Hasaacas, Ghana FC Berlin, Asante Kotoko, Wassaman United, Ashanti Gold and Inter Allies.

Addo died on March 24, 2017.

Rudolf Gutendorf (1986–87)

The German holds a Guinness World Record for managing the highest number of national teams: 55 teams in 32 countries, across five continents.

See all the teams he managed: 1955 (Blue Stars Zürich), 1955–1961 (FC Luzern), 1961 (US Monastir), 1963–1964 (MSV Duisburg), 1965–1966 (VfB Stuttgart), 1968 (St Louis Stars), 1968 (Bermuda), 1968–1970 (FC Schalke 04), 1970–1971 (Kickers Offenbach), 1971 (Sporting Cristal), 1972–1973 (Chile), 1974 (Bolivia), 1974 (Venezuela), 1974 (TSV), 1860 (München), 1975 (Real Valladolid), 1975–1976 (SC Fortuna Köln), 1976 (Trinidad & Tobago), 1976 (Grenada), 1976 (Antigua & Barbuda), 1976 (Botswana), 1976–1977 (Tennis Borussia Berlin), 1977 (Hamburger SV), 1979–1981 (Australia), 1981 (New Caledonia), 1981 (Nepal), 1981 (Tonga), 1981 (Tanzania), 1983 (Fiji), 1984 (Hertha BSC), 1984 (São Tomé & Príncipe), 1984–1985 (Yomiuri SC), 1985–1986 (Ghana), 1986 (Nepal), 1987 (Fiji), 1988 (China), 1988 (Iran U-23), 1991–1992 (China), 1993 (Mauritius), 1995–1996 (Zimbabwe), 1997 (Mauritius), 1999 (Rwanda), 2003 (Samoa).

Rudi died at the age of 93 on September 13, 2019.

Frederick Osam-Duodu (1988–89)

The Ghanaian coach won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1978, the African U-20 Championship in 1993 and the African U-17 Championship in 2005.

He was also the coach of The Gambia national U17 football team (Baby Scorpions) in 2005. Fred died in Accra on the 4th of October 2016.

Burkhard Ziese (1990–92)

Born 1 February 1944, the German managed other teams aside Ghana including 1978–1980 (Sudan), 1985–1986 (Thailand), 1987–1990 (Pakistan), 1994–1997 (Bermuda), 1997–1998 (Zambia) and 2005–2006 (Malawi).

Ziese was aged 66 when he died on April 19, 2010.

Otto Martin Pfister (1992–93)

Do you know what made “Otto Pfister” popular in Ghana? During his spell as the Black Stars coach he never wore a belt and wore his trousers low, thus his name came to mean someone sagging their trousers.

Funny, right?

“Rules with an Iron-Pfister”! Yea, that’s how his coaching style was referred to in Ghana.

Pfister managed other teams which included 1972–1976 (Rwanda), 1976–1978 (Upper Volta), 1979–1982 (Senegal), 1982–1985 (Ivory Coast), 1985–1989 (Zaire), 1995–1997 (Bangladesh), 1997–1998 (Saudi Arabia), 1998 (Saudi Arabia (Olympic)), 1998–1999 (Saudi Arabia), 1999–2002 (Zamalek), 2002–2004 (CS Sfaxien), 2004–2005 (Nejmeh), 2005 (Al Masry), 2006 (Togo), 2006–2007 (Al Merrikh), 2007–2009 (Cameroon), 2011–2012 (Trinidad and Tobago), 2014 (Al Merrikh), 2015 (USM Alger) and 2017–2018 (Afghanistan).

Frederick Osam-Duodu (1993)

There isn’t much to say again since this was his second coming as Ghana’s coach.

Jørgen Erik Larsen (1993–94)

Born July 25, 1945, the Danish football coach has managed some other teams aside Ghana which are 1987–1990 (Herfølge BK), 1994–1995 (Al Rayyan Sports Club), 1995 (Qatar (youth)), 1995–1996 (Qatar), 1997–1998 (Pahang FA), 1999–2000 (Al Rayyan Sports Club), 2001 (Al-Shaab CSC), 2001–2003 (Kedah FA), 2004–2005 (Al Rayyan Sports Club), 2006 (Brønshøj BK), 2006–2007 (Amager United) and 2007–2008 (Tårnby BK).

At the age of 74 Larsen died 7th February 2020.

E.J. Aggrey-Fynn (1994)

If you remember the Abedi Pele and Tony Yeboah factions in the 1994 Ghana national team then you’ll remember this coach.

The spell of this Black Stars indigenous coach Aggrey Fynn was short-lived after his quest to win the trophy couldn’t materialize in Tunisia 1994 which the Super Eagles of Nigeria eventually won with skipper Stephen Keshi and Dutch manager Clemens Westerhof.

Fynn was the skipper of the 1963 Africa Cup of Nations Ghana winning team.

Petre Gavrilă (1995)

The Romanian football manager started his managerial career with Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea before being appointed head coach of the Ghana national football team.

Other teams he has managed include 1981–1983 (Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea), 1983–1984 (Progresul București), 1986–1987 (Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea), 1991–1995 (Hearts of Oak), 1995 (Sportul Studențesc) and 1995–1996 (Vanspor).

Ismael Kurtz (1996)

The Brazilian football manager led the Black Stars of Ghana to the 1996 African Cup of Nations, after which he was appointed manager of Angola in March 2002.

Sam Arday (1996–97)

Born 2 November 1945, Arday was coach of the Ghana national side on two occasions as you would see him again later in this article where he managed Ghana in 2004.

Arday also coached teams like Ghana U20 AKA The Black Satellites (1991), Ghana U23 (1992–1997) and Ashanti Gold (2004–2005).

Arday, who died in February 2017, was the one who gave Anthony Yeboah the breakthrough from Kumasi Cornerstone.

Marinus “Rinus” David Israël (1997–98)  

Dossena (1998–2000)

Osam-Duodu (2000)

Attuquayefio (2001)

Osam-Duodu (2001–02)

Živadinović (2002)

Afranie (2002–03)

Ziese (2003)

Zumdickc (2003)

Barreto (2003–04)

Arday (2004)

Dujković (2004–06)

Le Roy (2006–08)

Tettehc (2008)

Rajevac (2008–10)

Appiah (2010–11)

Stevanović (2011–12)

Appiah (2012–14)

Konaduc (2014)

Grant (2014–17)

Konaduc (2017)

Appiah (2017–20)

Akonnor (2020–till date)