Ghana FA Appoints German Coach Bernhard Lippert As New Technical Director

The West Africans have named the former Eintracht Frankfurt boss as a new addition to the national football governing body. 
 
German coach Bernhard Lippert has been appointed as Ghana's new technical director, the country's football association (GFA) has announced.

The 58-year-old will sign a two-year deal, replacing Francis Oti Akenteng whose tenure expired in March.

Lippert was until his Ghana appointment, the technical director of the Associations of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA), a position he held since 2008.

"Fifa coaching Instructor, Bernhard Lippert has been appointed as technical director of the Ghana Football Association for a period of two years," the GFA announced on its official website.

"The 58-year-old German trainer is a Fifa expert in instructing and training coaches.

"As technical director of the Ghana FA, he will head the technical directorate and formulate guidelines, strategies and policies for the training and the technical development of coaches of Ghana football, to provide advice to the Executive Council on coaching and technical development matters in general and the supervision of national football team coaches, to which the technical director may be assigned by the Association.

"Bernhard Lippert will be responsible for the strategy, development and technical direction of the technical directorate, the preparation and implementation of technical programmes at the grassroots, juvenile, and national teams thereby preparing football coaches and footballers for the future."

While in Azerbaijan, Lippert also coached the nation's U17, U19 and U21 teams.

In 1998-99, he managed German side Eintracht Frankfurt where he also worked as assistant coach, youth education supervisor and head coach of the U23s

He has also had short coaching spells with Bayern Munich and English club Leeds United.

"He [Lippert] shall be required to build the capacity of the of technical directorate of the association that will include but not limited to the following departments; coach education, referee education, talent identification, performance analysis, technical studies and video analysis, health and nutrition, sports psychology, strength and conditioning and sports medicine," the GFA statement continued.

"As part of his functions, the technical director will arrange courses and conferences for match officials, team officials, instructors, trainers and administrators.

 "He is also expected to assess the training programme of the national teams, examine reports on players made by the Handlers (team managers, coaches and the welfare officers), analyse international matches and advise the association."

In a related development, Black Stars team psychologist Prof. Joseph Mintah has been named as Ghana's new director of coaching education on a two-year deal.

He previously also worked as head coach of Ghana Premier League fold Ebusua Dwarfs.