Legendary French defender, 1998 World Cup winner and Twitter pro Marcel Desailly could soon be named the new Ghana national team coach, if reports in the country are accurate.
The 48-year-old was born in Accra, Ghana, spending four years of his childhood in West Africa before moving to France, where he would carve out a phenomenal professional career that would include successful club stints with Marseille, AC Milan and Chelsea.
The Black Stars are currently without a tactician, following the end of Avram Grant’s tenure with the team after taking them to the semi-finals of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, where they were eliminated by eventual winners Cameroon.
"Congrats
to Cameroon for this great win ! Looking forward to seeing them representing Africa in the #ConfedCup in Russia @setoo9 pic.twitter.com/yqZtmc9rPS — Marcel Desailly (@marceldesailly) February 6, 2017
Desailly seems set to fill the void on the Ghana bench, having professed his love for the country and desire to coach the team for some years now. He recently acquired his UEFA Pro Licence for coaching, and has since been seen as the ideal candidate to take over from Grant.
In Ghana there has been a fair amount of support for the former French international, as many believe that a foreign coach is not the way to go, while Desailly, who is Ghanaian by birth, would be a ‘local’ alternative.
The UEFA Champions League winner (with AC Milan and Marseille) could soon be named as the new head coach, but whether he is prepared for the job is up for discussion.
"With my good friend @setoo9! A lot at stake tonight – CAN2017 champion and a place at #ConfedCup!" @FIFAcom pic.twitter.com/NqYcUfGw07
— Marcel Desailly (@marceldesailly) February 5, 2017
Desailly has not yet been in charge of a national team or club, but his supporters point to over 20 years of experience as a world-class player. The transition from top player to top coach is not a simple matter, and it remains to be seen whether the former defender will enjoy the kind of success that former French team-mates Laurent Blanc and Didier Deschamps have enjoyed.