Charles Akonnor

Charles Akunnor
Personal information
Full name Charles Kwablan Akunnor
Date of birth (1974-03-12) 12 March 1974
Place of birth Accra, Ghana
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Central midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Asante Kotoko (Head coach)
Youth career
1985–1987 Young Hearts Tema
1988–1990 Okwawu United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1992 Obuasi Goldfields
1992–1998 Fortuna Köln 153 (26)
1998–2003 VfL Wolfsburg 121 (13)
2004–2005 SpVgg Unterhaching 46 (4)
2005–2007 AC Horsens 44 (5)
2007–2008 Alki Larnaca FC
2008–2009 SC Langenhagen 11 (0)
National team
1991–2001 Ghana 41 (12)
Teams managed
2009 Sekondi Wise Fighters
2010–2012 Sekondi Wise Fighters (director of sport)
2012 Hearts of Oak
2014 Ashanti Gold
2017–2018 Ashanti Gold
2018– Asante Kotoko
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Charles Kwablan Akunnor (born 12 March 1974 in Accra) is a former Ghanaian international footballer. He has played as a versatile midfielder, mostly in Germany. He is currently the head coach of Asante Kotoko.

Club career

Akonnor first came to Germany in 1992, along with friend and national teammate Samuel Kuffour. Having played for six years with Fortuna Köln (all in the second division), he switched in 1998 to VfL Wolfsburg.

At Wolfsburg, Akonnor quickly developed as a resourceful player and one of the teams' most important elements and, in 2001–02, was given team captaincy. However, at the start of the following season he was injured (a knee problem which required an operation in 2003), prompting a January 2004 move to SpVgg Unterhaching, in a second-level return.

In 2005 Akonnor moved to Denmark to play with AC Horsens, playing an important part in the team's consolidation in the Danish first division, where they had just arrived in the previous season. He played one final season in Cyprus' top flight, with Alki Larnaca FC. In Summer 2008 left Cyprus and moved to Germany based club SC Langenhagen in the Oberliga Niedersachenliga-West. He played there until 18 February 2009 when he announced the end of his career.

International career

A holder of 41 international caps, Akonnor was named captain of the Black Stars following Abedi Pele's retirement. However, he would never be recalled again after applying for (and receiving) German citizenship.

Coaching career

On 19 February 2009, Akunnor signed a contract as head coach for Sekondi Wise Fighters where he worked with his former nationalteam mate Nii Lamptey as his assistant.[1] On 22 January 2010, he was named as the director of sport of the Sekondi Wise Fighters. His successor as head coach was Hans-Dieter Schmidt.[2] On 19 March 2012, Akonnor was named as head coach of the Glo Premier League club Hearts of Oak. His predecessor as head coach was Nebojša Vučićević.[3]

On 1 October 2018 he was appointed as the head coach of Asante Kotoko.[4]

Personal life

His son Charles Jesaja Herrmann is also a footballer who plays as a forward; he came through the youth system at VfL Wolfsburg.[5][6]

References

  1. ↑ "Former Internationals to Coach Eleven Wise". MTN Football. 18 February 2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  2. ↑ "Sekondi XI Wise announces changes". Official site. Happy 98.8 FM. 22 January 2010. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
  3. ↑ "Hearts reach deal with CK Akunnor". Modernghana.com. 20 March 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
  4. ↑ Charles Akonnor feels 'privileged' to be handed Asante Kotoko job, ghanasoccernet.com, 1 October 2018
  5. ↑ "CK Akunnor's son nets a brace for Wolfsburg". Ghana MMA. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  6. ↑ "C. Herrmann". Soccerway. Retrieved 2 October 2018.


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