Accra Lions are managed by little-known Englishman James Francis, owned by Lothar Matthaus, and their average age is 19... and one player is on trial with Chelsea this week!
- Accra Lions field extremely young line-ups in the Ghanaian Premier League
- The club hope to develop talent and supply players to Europe, America, and Asia
- Kai Havertz is SHACKLED as Arsenal's No 9, the weight of that shirt is too much - It's All Kicking Off
While Premier League academies struggle to give youngsters enough experience to cope with the harsh realities of professional football, one club in Africa managed by an Englishman has come up with a radical solution, and Chelsea may be about to benefit.
Accra Lions of the Ghanaian Premier League regularly field a first-team with an average age of 19 to battle-harden their youth players against men with points and livelihoods at stake.
German World Cup winner Lothar Matthaus is the owner and the unlikely figure in the hot seat is James Francis of Essex, who started out life as a youth coach at David Beckham’s first junior club, Ridgeway Rovers.
‘We scout the best players, develop them and hope they get the opportunities to one day go and play in Europe, Asia or America,’ says Francis explaining the project.
The latest off the production line, David Oduro, is being assessed on trial by Chelsea this week with the Ghanaian League closing down for AFCON.
![James Francis is the unlikely manager of Accra Lions, a Ghanaian Premier League club with a unique model and ambitions](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/09/13/79795919-12942869-image-a-96_1704806711646.jpg)
James Francis is the unlikely manager of Accra Lions, a Ghanaian Premier League club with a unique model and ambitions
![Former World Cup winner Lothar Matthaus is the owner of the club, who hope to supply players to Europe, America, and Asia](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/09/12/79794471-0-image-a-79_1704803179816.jpg)
Former World Cup winner Lothar Matthaus is the owner of the club, who hope to supply players to Europe, America, and Asia
One of the attractions of the left-back is that he's already played 40 senior games and won four caps for Ghana under-20s at the age of 17.
It fits in with the philosophy of Accra Lions in fast-tracking young talent as Francis outlines.
‘The aim is to give them a complete footballing education, the competitive side as well as technical.
‘What is the point of learning the skill if you can’t then produce it under pressure. We are predominantly an under-18s team competing against much older opponents,' he says.
‘And if our players do make it to Europe, they can deal with it because they’ve had at an early age, that experience of facing stronger players and having fans shout at them.’
The bulk of the Accra Lions team are 16 or 17. Even their goalkeeper is only 18.
After 17 games of this season, they have won and drawn five games and sit a respectable 12th in the 18-team division.
Francis is an unlikely first-team boss. His only previous experience in the professional game in England was a five-month stint coaching in the academy at Cambridge United.
![David Oduro is trialling with Chelsea in a testament to the club's success at developing talent](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/09/13/79795921-12942869-image-a-88_1704806596954.jpg)
David Oduro is trialling with Chelsea in a testament to the club's success at developing talent
![Francis cites Pep Guardiola and Roberto De Zerbi as influences who he studies and watches](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/09/12/79794599-0-image-a-81_1704803538623.jpg)
Francis cites Pep Guardiola and Roberto De Zerbi as influences who he studies and watches
The 41-year-old had never been to Africa before being recommended by an American friend Lee Kellett who had business interests there.
It’s fair to say he’s settled well, living around the corner from the training ground with a young daughter in international school and if he wants a slice of England, he can pop into the Honeysuckle pub in Accra with its chicken and chips menu and Premier League football on the TV.
‘They say there are three religions in Ghana. Christianity, Islam and football. They love the game and our players have a real thirst to improve,’ he reflects.
‘As a coach I’ve always studied Pep Guardiola and I like watching Brighton with Roberto De Zerbi’s philosophy.
‘When I heard Lothar Matthaus was buying a stake, it was like “Wow”. He came over and had a long chat with the players stressing the importance of having the right mindset and believing in what you’re doing and in your team-mates.
‘Most teams in Ghana are strong and direct. We try to play possession and build from the back. There are setbacks of course when results don’t go your way and we had a relegation battle last season but Lothar and the owners know what they want to build.
‘Premier League football is still huge. Chelsea are well-supported because of Essien though the fans have a different attitude to being a supporter. Some will have a favourite team and a second and a third. They get confused because I support Arsenal and nobody else.
![Chris Hughton, formerly of Brighton, watches games in Ghana because he coaches the national team](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/09/12/79794527-0-image-a-80_1704803324923.jpg)
Chris Hughton, formerly of Brighton, watches games in Ghana because he coaches the national team
‘We’ve got one player who is a Man United fan but turned up to training one day in a Liverpool top. I had to tell him you wouldn’t get that in England!'
Travel to away games is by coach rather than plane, the longest being 12 hours dependent on the state of the roads. Hughton has been over to watch Ghanaian Premier League games and the country was in the news recently when an MP had to apologise for mocking Harry Maguire in Parliament.
Manchester United’s Kobbie Mannoo is of interest because of his Ghanaian heritage and the country’s policy of spreading the net and trying to get players of dual nationality to play for the Black Stars, as Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey has done.
Francis doesn’t know if he’ll be one of those English managers who always works abroad or if he’ll get a shot back home at some point. ‘I see it as a great journey,’ he says. But in terms of giving youth its chance, he’s already a trailblazer.