Ghana Premier League champions, Bibiani Goldstars, have sensationally parted ways with their head coach, Frimpong Manso, with immediate effect, less than a year after he steered the club to a historic domestic league title.
The shock decision was announced in the wake of Goldstars’ disappointing 2-0 defeat to Algerian giants JS Kabylie in the first leg of the 2025/2026 CAF Champions League preliminary stage qualifiers over the weekend.
The result has left the Ghanaian champions with a daunting task ahead of the decisive return fixture in Algeria later this week.
Confirming the development in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the club’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Samuel Kwagyire, explained that Manso’s contract termination was the outcome of a top-level management meeting.
“Management believes this is the best step forward for the team at this crucial stage. The reasons will be communicated officially in due time,” Mr. Kwagyire said, without elaborating further.
The dismissal has come as a surprise to many football observers and fans, especially given that Manso masterminded Goldstars’ fairy-tale rise to clinch their first-ever Premier League crown last season — a feat that also earned the club its maiden qualification to Africa’s elite inter-club competition.
Reactions from the club’s fan base have, however, been mixed. While some supporters have expressed disappointment over the abrupt timing of Manso’s exit, others believe the heavy loss to Kabylie, combined with the off-season departure of several experienced players, might have forced the board’s hand.
“The result exposed some weaknesses in the squad, and maybe management felt the coach wasn’t the right man to lead us into Africa,” a long-time fan of the club told reporters after the announcement.
With the decisive second leg looming on Friday, September 26, uncertainty hangs over who will lead Goldstars from the dugout in Algeria.
Sources within the club suggest that discussions are already underway to appoint an interim coach capable of steadying the ship as the Ghanaian champions attempt to overturn the two-goal deficit and keep their continental dreams alive.
For now, the departure of Frimpong Manso has raised more questions than answers, with supporters and pundits alike keenly awaiting management’s official explanation and the unveiling of his immediate successor.
