Who is Charles Akonnor? Everything You Need to Know About the New Gor Mahia Coach

Gor Mahia unveiled Charles Akonnor as their new coach, and fans are eager to see what the Ghanaian is capable of as he takes the helm at K’Ogalo.

Charles Akonnor takes charge at Gor Mahia after the club was forced to end the season without a head coach, following the departure of Sinisa Mihic.

Gor Mahia endured a torrid 2024/25 season, ending it without a trophy. They failed to defend their Football Kenya Federation Premier League title, finishing second behind Kenya Police FC, who came from behind to win the title for the first time.

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Gor Mahia also lost 2-1 in the FKF Cup final against Nairobi United, something that led to the sacking of the entire technical bench. Now, with Charles Akonnor taking charge, Gor Mahia hope to put all their struggles behind them and welcome a new dawn.

Charles Kwabla Akonnor was born on March 12, 1974 and is a Ghanaian football manager and former midfielder, well known for his time managing the Ghana national team, Black Stars.

Akonnor was born and raised in Nungua, a suburb of Accra, though his roots trace back to Ningo Prampram in the Greater Accra Region, identifying him as a member of the Ga-Adangbe ethnic group.

He began his education at Nungua Primary and Junior High School, before enrolling at Nungua Presbyterian Secondary and Commercial School for his secondary studies.

During his school years, Charles Akonnor was deeply involved in football, becoming a key player for the school’s team and regularly representing them in tournaments and inter-school competitions.

Charles Akonnor began his football journey in Ghana with Young Hearts before moving on to Okwawu United and later Obuasi Goldfields.

In 1992, Charles Akonnor made the switch to Europe alongside fellow Ghanaian Samuel Kuffour, joining German second-tier club Fortuna Koln.

During his six seasons there, he made over 150 appearances and scored more than 25 goals. His impressive performances earned him a move to Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg, where he was nothing short of impressive.

At Wolfsburg, Charles Akonnor featured in over 140 matches, scored more than 20 goals, and was appointed team captain during the 2001/2002 season.

He later joined SpVgg Unterhaching in 2004 and then Danish side AC Horsens, where he played a key role in helping the team establish itself in the Danish Superliga following their recent promotion.

After his stint in Denmark, he moved to Cyprus to feature in the top division with Alki Larnaca for one season. He then returned to Germany to sign a one-year deal with SC Langenhagen, competing in the Oberliga Niedersachsenliga-West.

He remained with the club until February 18, 2009, when he officially announced his retirement from professional football.

Charles Akonnor also represented Ghana across the U20, U23, and senior national teams. He played a pivotal role in Ghana’s youth sides, helping the U20 finish third in the 1991 African Youth Championship and finish as runners-up at the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Between 1991 and 2001, he earned 51 caps for the senior team, scoring 13 goals, and captaining the Black Stars from 1998 to 2001.

Charles Akonnor also featured for Ghana at the 1996 Summer Olympics and appeared in four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments (1994, 1996, 1998, and 2000), wearing the captain’s armband in 2000.

His stellar performances earned him a place in the 1998 CAF Team of the Year and the AFCON Team of the Tournament.

Just after announcing his retirement, Charles Akonnor started his managerial journey with Sekondi Wise Fighters on February 19, 2009.

Less than a year later, on January 22, 2010, he transitioned to the role of Director of Sports at the club, with Hans-Dieter Schmidt taking over as head coach.

Charles Akonnor was later appointed head coach of Hearts of Oak, one of Ghana’s most storied clubs, on March 19, 2012, replacing Nebojša Vučićević.

However, after a poor start to the season, securing only four points from a possible 15 and suffering three consecutive defeats, he was relieved of his duties in November 2012.

In 2014, Akonnor took over as head coach of Ghana Division One side Dreams FC. Under his leadership, the club earned its first-ever promotion to the Ghana Premier League in 2015 after topping the Division One League Zone III.

Dreams finished ninth in their debut top-flight season, but were demoted in December 2016 due to a player registration issue. Akonnor left the club permanently in November 2017 after a short-term move to Ashanti Gold, which later became permanent.

Charles Akonnor would then return to his former club, Ashanti Gold, in April 2017 to help rescue them from relegation in the second half of the 2017 Ghana Premier League season.

He succeeded in revitalising the squad, leading them to 10 wins, three draws, and six losses in 19 matches, finishing 12th and avoiding relegation. In December 2017, he rejoined the club permanently.

During the 2018 season, Charles Akonnor guided the team to second place before the league was suspended and eventually cancelled due to the GFA corruption scandal.

He was named GPL NASCO Coach of the Month for March 2018. Despite this success, he was suspended and then dismissed by the club in June 2018 for reportedly missing training sessions.

On October 1, 2018, Akonnor was appointed head coach of Asante Kotoko, signing a two-year deal. He led the team to victory in the 2019 GFA Normalisation Committee Special Competition, securing qualification for the CAF Champions League. Despite his achievements, he was dismissed in July 2019 and replaced by Kjetil Zachariassen.

In September 2019, Charles Akonnor was a finalist for the Guinea national team coaching job, but the role ultimately went to Didier Six. A month later, on October 30, 2019, he was appointed assistant coach of Ghana’s national team under Kwesi Appiah. Following the GFA’s decision to dissolve all technical teams in January 2020, Akonnor’s role was initially terminated.

However, on January 15, 2020, he was named head coach of the Black Stars, with David Duncan as his assistant.

On September 13, 2021, the GFA announced Charles Akonnor’s dismissal, along with assistants Duncan and Patrick Greveraars, after an underwhelming performance in World Cup qualifiers, including a narrow win over Ethiopia and a loss to South Africa.