Gor Mahia Coach Explains How He is Preparing His Players for European Clubs

Gor Mahia coach Charles Akonnor has opened up about how he is shaping his players so that they are ready to play for European clubs without problems.

Akonnor has had a successful first season at Gor Mahia after leading them to the FKF Premier League title and is hoping to defend his crown and perform well in the CAF Champions League next term.

The Ghanaian coach says while he is keen to build a strong team for now and the future, his work goes beyond tactics as he also wants to have proper professionals and well-behaved players who can easily move to Europe and continue with their careers without problems.

“Sometimes it goes beyond football, beyond tactics…you need to understand these boys very well so that when they are going on the wrong path, you direct them,” Akonnor told Dollar TV Kenya.

“It was very important to get into their brains to know exactly what is going on and what they want and what they want to achieve.

“Some of them have no idea why they are playing football and you need to educate them about certain things because they are good boys and I believe they listen and so as time goes on, they will improve.”

Akonnor hopes that what he is doing will yield positive results and Gor Mahia churns out all-rounded players who can cope with whatever challenges thrown at them in their careers when they secure moves abroad.

“We are hoping that in three, four, five years’ time, they will be big players in Europe doing very well and the transition has to be good,” he added.

“The fact that we are here, we want to try as much as possible to help them grow in that area not just coaching but grow as human beings and footballers on and off the field.”