Ph-one online

Sports

I was close to getting the Black Stars job – Mali coach Tom Saintfiet

Enoch Frimpong
September 8, 2025
0

I was close to getting the Black Stars job – Mali coach Tom Saintfiet

Source: Haruna Mubarak
Philippines’ coach Tom Saintfiet looks on before the 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC qualifiers football match between Vietnam and the Philippines at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on June 6, 2024. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)

Tom Saintfiet has revealed how close he was to being appointed as head coach of the Black Stars, but the Ghana FA decided to go for another coach.

Saintfiet confirmed holding discussions with the country’s football governing body for “four hours” regarding the then-vacant job following the dismissal of Chris Hughton after a winless 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.

“It’s true that at that moment, after AFCON, around AFCON, there were talks… but I had a feeling I was close to the Black Stars job,” Saintfiet said.

“I spoke about four hours, I think in total, with the Ghana Federation, with Kurt [Okraku] and Mark [Addo, the President and Vice President]… but in the end they decided to go for another coach.”

Otto Addo was hired by the FA in March 2024 for his second stint as Black Stars gaffer.

Saintfiet, who led Gambia to their first-ever last eight in the 2021 AFCON, was appointed as Mali head coach in August 2024 and is unbeaten in nine competitive matches, including six wins.

The two coaches collide in Matchday Eight of the World Cup qualifiers on Monday, September 8.

Ghana sit at the summit of Group I with 16 points, four ahead ahead of fourth-placed Mali.

Tagged:

Enoch Frimpong

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent News

Government moves to assure investors of fiscal discipline after IMF Programme Source: Joy Business 9 September 2025 8:07am Government is taking steps to reassure investors, donors, and the markets that fiscal discipline will be maintained after Ghana exits the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme in May 2026. Concerns have been raised that the country could slip back into unsustainable spending once the programme ends. But government sources told Joy Business that such fears are unfounded, insisting that Ghana’s current performance under the IMF arrangement demonstrates a firm commitment to prudence. To further strengthen investor confidence, officials say government is considering subscribing to one of the IMF’s policy instruments, though not a full programme. This, they argue, would serve as an additional signal of stability and ensure markets remain confident that fiscal discipline will not unravel. The move follows arguments by some donors that Ghana’s recent macroeconomic recovery has been driven mainly by the IMF’s oversight. One government official, however, rejected this claim, stressing that the current fiscal checks are the result of deliberate policy choices and not merely IMF enforcement. Market watchers remain cautious. Ratings agencies are said to be factoring in the risk of post-IMF slippages in their upcoming assessments of Ghana’s creditworthiness. Analysts describe the ability to sustain discipline beyond May 2026 as one of the biggest challenges facing the government, especially after President John Mahama announced that the current programme will not be extended. Meanwhile, an IMF staff mission is expected in Accra at the end of September 2025 for the fifth review of Ghana’s programme. This penultimate review, following the fourth assessment earlier this year, will evaluate Ghana’s economic data up to June 2025. The final review is scheduled for April 2026. According to Joy Business sources, the review will focus on key indicators, including inflation performance, reserve sustainability, fiscal revenue shortfalls, arrears audits, and challenges facing state-owned and private banks in need of recapitalisation. Particular attention will also be given to arrears in statutory funds such as the NHIL, GETFund, and Road Fund, as well as gaps in social spending. The IMF programme, approved in May 2023 under a 36-month Extended Credit Facility (ECF) worth about $3 billion, has been critical in stabilising Ghana’s finances. Its key priorities include restoring public finances through improved revenue mobilisation and spending efficiency, expanding social protection, implementing structural reforms in taxation and public financial management, addressing weaknesses in energy and cocoa, and tightening monetary policy to control inflation. While donors have urged government to build “shock absorbers” to maintain stability after IMF support ends, officials insist Ghana’s commitment to discipline is genuine and long-term.

September 9, 2025

Search

Recent News

Government moves to assure investors of fiscal discipline after IMF Programme Source: Joy Business 9 September 2025 8:07am Government is taking steps to reassure investors, donors, and the markets that fiscal discipline will be maintained after Ghana exits the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme in May 2026. Concerns have been raised that the country could slip back into unsustainable spending once the programme ends. But government sources told Joy Business that such fears are unfounded, insisting that Ghana’s current performance under the IMF arrangement demonstrates a firm commitment to prudence. To further strengthen investor confidence, officials say government is considering subscribing to one of the IMF’s policy instruments, though not a full programme. This, they argue, would serve as an additional signal of stability and ensure markets remain confident that fiscal discipline will not unravel. The move follows arguments by some donors that Ghana’s recent macroeconomic recovery has been driven mainly by the IMF’s oversight. One government official, however, rejected this claim, stressing that the current fiscal checks are the result of deliberate policy choices and not merely IMF enforcement. Market watchers remain cautious. Ratings agencies are said to be factoring in the risk of post-IMF slippages in their upcoming assessments of Ghana’s creditworthiness. Analysts describe the ability to sustain discipline beyond May 2026 as one of the biggest challenges facing the government, especially after President John Mahama announced that the current programme will not be extended. Meanwhile, an IMF staff mission is expected in Accra at the end of September 2025 for the fifth review of Ghana’s programme. This penultimate review, following the fourth assessment earlier this year, will evaluate Ghana’s economic data up to June 2025. The final review is scheduled for April 2026. According to Joy Business sources, the review will focus on key indicators, including inflation performance, reserve sustainability, fiscal revenue shortfalls, arrears audits, and challenges facing state-owned and private banks in need of recapitalisation. Particular attention will also be given to arrears in statutory funds such as the NHIL, GETFund, and Road Fund, as well as gaps in social spending. The IMF programme, approved in May 2023 under a 36-month Extended Credit Facility (ECF) worth about $3 billion, has been critical in stabilising Ghana’s finances. Its key priorities include restoring public finances through improved revenue mobilisation and spending efficiency, expanding social protection, implementing structural reforms in taxation and public financial management, addressing weaknesses in energy and cocoa, and tightening monetary policy to control inflation. While donors have urged government to build “shock absorbers” to maintain stability after IMF support ends, officials insist Ghana’s commitment to discipline is genuine and long-term.

categories

Agriculture

Business

Education