Former Ghana international, Sebastian Ebo Barnes, has returned to the nation’s elite football league following his appointment as Head of Scouting for his former club, Accra Hearts of Oak.
The former 1991 U-17 FIFA World Cup winner had his professional career with the 21-time Ghana Premier League (GPL) champions from 1991 to 1995 before leaving Ghana for German side, Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
Barnes appointment was part of a ‘first batch’ of appointees named by the Phobians as they aim to strengthen the club’s technical team.
His work would be supervised, however, by a Dutch technical expertise, Rene Hiddink.
Also among the new appointees were Jerry Adjei Asare as goalkeepers’ coach, Carlos Klu as Welfare Officer and Mercy Quarcoo-Tagoe as Head Coach of Oaks FC, the female team of Hearts.
Barnes is returning after sojourning for 28 years, a period of his career that saw him play in German and American leagues.
Barnes, an expert talent identification and development, holds a UEFA License B certificate and has previously managed the U-17 side of Bayer Leverkusen, among other clubs.
The African Youth Championship winner with the Black Satellites in 1993 in Mauritius is expected to bring to the club his rich experience in talent development to the club, and help the transition of the club’s youth players into the senior team and among other things.
Nicknamed the ‘Specialist Coach’, working with the newly appointed Dutch trainer would be a new challenge for him.
Until his appointment, Barnes worked as a Technical Director and Club’s European Liaison Officer for Young Apostle, a Division One Zone 2 club based in Sunyani.
Coach Hiddink and Barnes are expected to take charge of the team’s training today as they return from a break after the previous season.
Together with the other appointees, the target for the new technical team would be to improve the club’s 12th-place finish last season.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
