Prosper Narteh Ogum says his coaching journey was shaped by a childhood dream of becoming a professional footballer, a path he eventually abandoned due to family pressure.
The Ghana U17 coach, speaking on the GFA Podcast with Patrick Akoto, revealed he had ambitions of playing at the highest level during his early years.
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“I think it is all about passion. It’s about the drive to do what makes me happy. As a child, I wanted to be a footballer. I was a centre forward,” he said.
He added that his performances earned him notable nicknames during his school days.
“In secondary school, I was called Van Basten. At college, I was called Ronaldo. I wanted to be a professional footballer, but family pressure, especially from my mum, made me stop and focus on my education.”
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Ogum said he continued playing at an amateur level while studying, before eventually turning his attention to coaching after advice from a former tutor at Berekum Training College.
That decision shaped a career that has combined education and football. He is a trained teacher and lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, where he works in the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, and holds a CAF Licence A coaching badge.
Ogum began his coaching career by leading Elmina Sharks to qualification for the Division One League in 2013 and later had a brief spell with Ebusua Dwarfs before stepping away to pursue a PhD.
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He has also coached Karela United and WAFA SC, where he guided the team to a third-place finish in the 2020/21 season.
Ogum went on to win the Ghana Premier League title with Asante Kotoko in the 2021–22 campaign and was named Coach of the Season, as well as Ghana Football Awards Men’s Coach of the Year in 2022.
He is currently in charge of the Black Starlets and also serves as the Ghana Football Association’s Head of Coach Education.
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