Local coaches are not ripe for Stars' job

Kumasi, Sept. 19, GNA - A former defender of Kumasi Asante Kotoko and the senior national team, the Black Stars, Dogo Moro, has urged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to be circumspect in their search for a coach for the team.

Dogo Moro, 75, observed that even though he acknowledged the immense contribution of local coaches to the success of Ghana football, he was of the conviction that "they were not ripe for now to handle the Stars".

The former versatile defender said coach Milovan Rajevac, who guided the Stars to their first World Cup quarter-final appearance, has left a legacy which must be further developed for the growth of Ghana football.

Dogo Moro said, "In my view the Stars have now carved a niche for themselves in world football and I expect the GFA to build consensus with stakeholders to ensure that the next coach to be chosen matches up to the team's pedigree", he told the GNA Sports in Kumasi on Sunday. Local coaches, he noted lack the mental strength and technical capacity needed to meet the dynamism and tactical discipline of modern football internationally and that they needed sometime to understudy the coaching scene so as to catch up with the current trend.

Dogo Moro proposed that whilst a local coach should be maintained as the assistant, the GFA should strive to go in for a competent expatriate coach to sustain the philosophy and vision of Ghana football. Milovan relinquished his position as head coach of the Black Stars recently after a two-year contract to join Saudi Arabia club, Al Ahly Jeddah, and so far over 40 applications made up of both foreign and local coaches have been received by the GFA for the job.