Gor Mahia coach Charles Akonnor has reflected on a football career that began in Ghana and took him to Germany’s Bundesliga, the Olympic Games and four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
Speaking in a Radio Generation interview on Tuesday, Akonnor said football had been part of his life from childhood, starting with school football before progressing through Ghana’s youth national teams.
“I have lived football all my life. I started playing at school before joining Ghana’s Under-17 national team. After performing well, I progressed to club football,” he said.
Akonnor recalled being selected at the age of 14-15 to join a second team in Ghana’s top division before progressing to the senior side and representing the country at Under-17 and Under-20 level.
He later moved to Germany, where he began his European career with Cologne before joining Wolfsburg. He said becoming captain of the German club was a significant achievement, particularly at a time when racism was widespread.
“After four years, I moved to Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, where, after two years, I became captain of the team. It was a significant achievement, especially at a time when racism against Black players in Germany was very high,” Akonnor said.
The former Ghana international also captained the country’s Under-20 team, the Olympic team at the Atlanta Games and eventually the senior national side.
The Gor Mahia Coach represented Ghana at four AFCON tournaments in 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000, becoming senior national team captain by 1998.
He identified Ghana’s run to the 1993 FIFA Under-20 World Cup final in Australia as his defining moment as a player.
“My happiest moment and defining moment as a player was when we went on a 20 World Cup in Australia, where we went to the finals. The semis was very tough against England. Those players were then big players afterwards,” he said.
Akonnor said reaching the final against Brazil, despite eventually losing, remained a major highlight of his playing career. He also described playing alongside Ghanaian greats including Abedi Pele and Tony Yeboah as a valuable learning experience.
After retiring from playing, Akonnor pursued coaching qualifications in Germany before returning to Ghana, where he managed Hearts of Oak, Asante Kotoko and Ashanti Gold. He also worked with Ghana’s youth national teams before becoming head coach of the senior side, guiding the Black Stars to the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
His coaching philosophy has been shaped by his own experiences as an African player in Europe where he believes coaches must understand players’ backgrounds and circumstances before demanding results.
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“You cannot treat the African player the same way as you treat the European player. They are different people. They are different backgrounds,” he said.
Akonnor brought that experience to Kenya after Gor Mahia appointed him head coach on a two-year contract in August 2025, marking his first coaching job outside Ghana.
He went on to guide Gor Mahia to the 2025/26 league title, their record-extending 22nd crown, and was named Coach of the Season.
For Akonnor, continuous learning remains central to his approach.
“It’s every time I have a vision, and if I do it this way, I fight with myself. I talk to myself. I educate myself. I watch around what is happening, what can be done to improve every time.”