David Duncan (footballer)

David Duncan (born 25 October 1963) is a former Ghanaian player and the head coach of Asante Kotoko.^[3]

Club career

David Duncan begun his club career at Afienya United in 1984 before moving to Premier Division side Great Olympics two years later. David Duncan mixed schooling with his football career but he had to take a number of years off to pursue his education. He was back with Afienya United for one season in the 1991/92 season when his team finished eighth in the league.^[4] He retired from playing in the 1994/95 season when his darling club Great Olympics finished sixth on the league^[5] log.

Managerial career

Great Olympics

David Duncan started his coaching career as an assistant coach with Great Olympics in the early 2000s. In the 2002 season, he went for a short coaching course in Denmark but upon his return, J.E Sarpong who was head coach then had resigned for the second time in the season. when he was assistant to J.E Sarpong. On 17 May 2002, David Duncan was officially appointed as the head coach of Great Olympics. The young coach led Great Olympics to a respectable fourth^[6] position, and in effect bettering their previous season's finish by fourth places. David Duncan left Great Olympics at the end of the season having displayed superior style of football over the two giants of Ghana football, Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, but officiating went against them in the two games.

Sekondi Hasaacas

Duncan moved to giants of the West, Sekondi Hasaacas F.C., in 2003. He led the Sekondi side to an eighth^[7] place finish in his first season, one place behind his former team Great Olympics. Sekondi Hasaacas finished seventh^[8] the following season in the novelty league of the southern sector.

Black Starlets

David Duncan was appointed the Coach of the Ghana U-17 in 2004. He won silver at the 2005 African Under-17 Championship in Gambia. The Black Starlets had a poor showing in the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Peru where they were eliminated in the first round. The technical team had a lot of misunderstandings^[9] with the administrators and that could be the reasons that lead to the failed campaign. tournament unhappy citing interferences from administrators

Ashantigold

Ashanti Gold S.C. came calling for David Duncan in 2006. The former 3-times Glo Premier League Champions had fallen off the radar since their three consecutive year win on the title from 1993-1996. In two seasons, David Duncan finished second back-to-back for the Obuasi team. He led Ashantigold to victory in the Macufe^[10] Cup in 2006. In the 2006/7 season, Ashantigold finished 5 points off Champions Hearts of Oak in the league with 53 points. They managed the same point total in the 2007/8 season but they lost out to Asante Kotoko.

Free State Stars

David Duncan had won suitors in South Africa when he took Ashantigold to win the Macufe Cup in 2006. Free State Stars was his next destination but he was only there for three months. In that short period of time, he led Free State Stars to victory in the Phakisa^[11] Cup in 2009 beating Soweto giants Orlando Pirates and Chiefs. The Ghanaian coach left Free State Stars^[12] in August, 2008 after they appointed Owen Da Gama as Technical Director of the Club.

Ashantigold

He returned to Ashanti Gold in 2009. This time around, he finished second, again, with the Miners in a tight-race with Aduana Stars. The newly promoted side beat Ashanti Gold to the 2009/10^[13] season Glo Premier League title on head-to-head rule after they both finished with 53 points on the final day of the season. Ashantigold needed a draw at Berekum Chelsea F.C. but they lost on the final 1-0 away from home. It was a case of deja vu for David Duncan's Ashgold the following season when they placed second with 53 points and lost the league title to Berekum Chelsea.^[14]

Black Meteors

Coach David Duncan took the Ghana U-23, The Black Meteors, coaching duties in 2011. He was tasked to qualify the team for the London Olympics but they were knocked out by Sudan 2-1 on aggregate in the qualifiers.^[15]

Accra Hearts of Oak

He was appointed the head coach of Hearts of Oak in the 2012/13 season. Hearts of Oak had lost three, drawn once, and won two of their opening 6 games in the league. Former Black Stars skipper C.K. Akunnor was relieved off his duties and in his place David Duncan was appointed the new head coach.

On 18 November 2012 he led Accra Hearts of Oak to goalless draw in Kumasi, against Asante Kotoko on his managerial debut for the Accra side. He won his first game the following week in 2-0 win over Liberty Professionals.^[16] David Duncan's Hearts of Oak went seven games without a league victory - drew 4 and lost 3. The poor form pushed Hearts of Oak into the relegation mire in the latter stages of the first round of the 2012/13 Glo Premier League season.

However, results changed for the better in the second round for David Duncan's side. They amassed 35 points out of a possible 45 to finish the league season on fifth position, a point off third-placed Medeama SC.^[17]

David Duncan also got Hearts of Oak to a first semi-final appearance in the FA Cup in 13 years. They lost 2-1 to Medeama in the semi-finals of the 2012/13 MTN FA CUP.^[18]

The new Accra Hearts of Oak manager won his first trophy for the Continental Club Masters in the recently ended 2013 GHALCA President's Cup competition. He led his team, Hearts of Oak, to a 4-3^[19] penalty win over Congolese giants TP Mazembe in the first day of the competition to progress to the finals of the President's Cup. In the finals, David Duncan's side broke the Medeama jinx by beating the follow Premiership side 2-0 to lift the 2013 GHALCA President's^[20] Cup.

2013/14

David Duncan started the new season with Accra Hearts of Oak on a very good note. He led his team to an away win over Edubiase United on the opening day of the season. However, he lost the second game of the season^[21] to bitter rivals Kumasi Asante Kotoko 0-1 at the Accra Sports Stadium after losing his key players, notably, Edubiase two-goal hero Emmanuel Hayford to injury, team captain Moro Abubakr to suspension, and a few others. His young side dominated the exchanges, missing countless glorious chances, but Kotoko snatched the points through a Seidu Bancey beauty in the 29th minute. Duncan's side put the disappointment of the derby defeat aside, and went on to win their next four games, beating new entrants Inter Allies^[22] 2-3, Sekondi Hasaacas^[23] 2-1, Bechem United^[24] 0-1, and Berekum Chelsea^[25] 1-0. They dropped points at the Kpando Park after taking a first half lead through Emmanuel Hayford, but Heart of Lions fought back to snatch a 1-1^[26] draw. Hearts followed up with a 2-0 home win over Liberty Professionals.^[27] David Duncan succumbed to his former side Ashgold again, losing 1-0 at the Len Clay Stadium, before his side fought back to claw a point against Kumasi King Faisal in a 1-1^[28] drawn game at the Accra Sports Stadium. The King Faisal game was David Duncan's last game in charge of Accra Hearts of Oak. He was asked to step aside on 8 November 2013 by the Club,^[3] in a press release to the surprise of all football-loving fans.

Post Hearts of Oak

Although, Accra Hearts of Oak insisted David Duncan's departure was a mutual agreement between both parties, the fans^[29] did not believe the explanation given for his departure. They organised a peaceful demonstration, led by supporters' leaders, Barima Atuahene, Maxwell Asabere, and members of the radical Chapter O group, to reinstate David Duncan as the coach of the club. The new group, opposing the sack of David Duncan, succeeded in moving the coach back to the residential camp^[30] of the club ahead of a big game against Amidaus Professionals. Unperturbed by the sack, David Duncan gave a rousing speech^[31] to his players,^[32] and encouraged them to fight for the supporters in the next game. Hearts went on to win the game by a solitary goal with David Duncan in attendance (to fulfill his promise to his players). David Duncan has the third best league record of any Hearts (indigen) coach in the 21st century. His record is only bettered by, the celebrated Cecil Jones Attuquayefio and Herbert Addo (2002-2003). Duncan managed 39 (league and FA Cup) competitive games for Hearts of Oak. He won 21 games, drew 11, and lost 7, with his side scoring and conceding 56 and 29 goals respectively.

David Duncan petitioned the Ghana Football Association to adjudicate^[33] a case of wrongful termination of contract by Hearts of Oak. After successfully weighing both sides of the case, the Ghana Football Association authorized Hearts of Oak to pay a record $40,000 as compensation to David Duncan for wrongful dismissal.^[34] In January 2015, David Duncan became head coach of Asante Kotoko on a 2-year contract.

Honours

• Top-4 National League with Great Olympics
• 2005 African U-17 Championship Runners-up
• Ghana Premier League Runner-up 2006, 2007, 2010
• Ghana Coach of the year Award 2006
• 2006 Macufe Cup Winner^[10]
• 2008 Phakisa Cup Winner^[11]
• 2013 GHALCA President's Cup^[35]

References