Charles Akonnor: Ghana's German coach

When the president of Ghanaian football, Kurt Okraku, introduced Charles Akonnor as the new national team coach in January 2020, he smiled — but also left the former Bundesliga player with no doubt about what was expected of him."Win the next African Cup of Nations and lead Ghana to the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar," he says Okraku could hardly have placed a heavier weight on the man's shoulders. But Akonnor put on a brave face and did not contradict his boss: "Of course it will be difficult and we all have to pull together to achieve our lofty goals. But I also like to set the bar high because I want to make a difference in Ghana's football," he says. More than a year later, Akonnor is finally able to properly set into his role as coach of the "Black Stars." The false start happened after COVID-19 struck with full force in his home country and halted his plans. It was not until October, nine months after being appointed, that Akonnor coached his first game, a friendly. After losing 3-0 to Mali, Akonnor was delighted to register a straightforward 5-1 win against World Cup hosts Qatar three days later.