Coaches who have lost their jobs in the GPL this season

Several coaches are not afraid of a sack or termination of contracts by their respective clubs.

Coaching, the world over is like a merry-go-round. A coach of a club ‘A’ today would become coach of club ‘B’ tomorrow, whether as a result of a termination of contract or end of relation by mutual consent.

Sometimes, a coach may decide to move on to another club for personal reasons.

The Ghana Premier League after match day 18 has seen some technical handlers sacked or asked to step aside including demotions.

Asante Kotoko have witnessed the highest number changes at technical level this season. The Porcupine Warriors ahead of the 2017 Ghana Premier League season replaced their caretaker coach Michael Osei, with the Romanian, Zdravko Lugarusic.

Kotoko started their season well. Despite churning out good results in the early stages, the coach was criticized for failing to enable his side to play an eye-pleasing football and their defeat to their bitterest rivals, Hearts of Oak on match day eight was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Management of the Porcupine Warriors called for the sack of the Lugarusic.

The management of Asante Kotoko appointed their former skipper and assistant coach Frimpong Manso as interim coach.

Manso failed to get a win in all games as head coach. Berekum Chelsea CEO, Nana Kwame Nketia, who is a staunch Kotoko fan decided to loan his coach Steve Pollack to assist the Kumasi giants get their mojo back, so Manso was asked to take up a new role as the assistant coach.

Frimpong Manso, however, declined to accept the new role and left the club by mutual consent.

Ashanti Gold just like their fellow Ashanti regional side Kotoko have had a lot of troubles in their dressing room. Coach Basiru Hayford who propelled the club to their first league glory in 19 years three seasons ago came under intense pressure this season from the fans after a poor start to the season.

He was given an ultimatum to turn things around at the club or get fired. Basiru who didn't like to work under pressure tendered his resignation to avoid going through the stress involved.

His assistant Yakubu Mambo was asked to take charge of the team as a caretaker coach but couldn’t produce the magic AshGold required to get AshGold back to winning ways.

CK Akunnor, a former player of the four times champion of Ghana was appointed as head coach. CK Akunnor who took the risk to leave his job as the head coach of Dreams FC has seen AshGold get their confidence back, having gone five consecutive matches undefeated in the league including their first away league victory this season, making his bid to help the Miners lift themselves from the drop zone a mission possible.

Liberty Professionals started the season with Sellas Tetteh as the Technical Director and Ignatius Osei Ofosu as the assistant coach. The latter was made to take charge of the team while the former was behind the scenes driving the technical direction of the club, but when the season became rough, Michael Osei was brought in as the head coach to handle the dressing room of the Scientific Soccer lads.

Coach Kobina Amissah is the latest coach to be sidelined this season after the management of the club told him to take two match leave for a new person to take charge of the team.

He had been criticized by the supporters of the club for failing to guide the team secure a respectable position on the league log and the management has heard their cry.

Elmina Sharks are 12th on the log with 21 points which are just two points above the drop zone. Sharks are in danger of suffering relegation just a season after gaining promotion to the topflight league.

I don’t want to play the devil’s advocate, but I foresee more other coaches lose their jobs before the season comes to a close.