The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has taken a decisive step forward in its player development strategy with the appointment of coaches for three of the four newly-established male national teams. In a bid to ensure continuity and foster talent at all levels, the GFA introduced four new male and five female national teams last month.
According to recent announcements made by the country’s football governing body, Dreams FC head coach Karim Zito has been entrusted with leading the U-19 team, while former Black Stars striker Yaw Preko will helm the U-15 squad. Meanwhile, Samartex FC coach Nurudeen Amadu has been selected to manage the U-18 boys’ team.
Assisting Zito will be former Asante Kotoko striker Eric Bekoe, while Preko will be supported by former U-17 stars Awudu Issaka and Mubarak Gado. Amadu’s coaching staff will include Vision FC coach Hamza Obeng and former Hearts of Oak goalkeeper James Nanor.
These appointments bring together a wealth of experience, with all three coaches boasting extensive backgrounds in youth coaching. Karim Zito, having previously led Ghana’s U-17 and U-20 teams, notably secured victory in the Africa Cup of Nations with the latter in 2021.
Yaw Preko has also contributed his expertise to coaching the Black Satellites, while Nurudeen Amadu served as an assistant to Paa Kwasi Fabin during his tenure as Black Starlets coach in 2017. However, the GFA has yet to name a coach for the newly-formed U-21 national team, leaving a pivotal role yet to be filled in the evolving landscape of Ghanaian football development.