A Japanese American coach Kenichi Yatsuhashi is in the country to put pen to paper for the Accra Hearts of Oak vacant coaching job.
Yatsuhashi played football professionally for a Division II team in Brazil. Kenichi was born in the United States of America.
He has been residing in Brooklyn, New York but spends some time in Japan for holidays. Kenichi was the head coach of male and female ASA college (equivalent to university in the country) football team for a period of five years.
Yatsuhashi speaks two main languages – English and Japanese. Yatsuhashi is active on social media and has been actively updating his Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. Kenichi is a renowned youth coach in the States and his coaching stints have mostly been with junior sides.
He has certificates in grassroots soccer as well as goalkeeping certificates. He will be the seventh foreign coach for Hearts of Oak in the 21st century.
Other foreign names to have taken the role are German Ernst Middendorp and Sanzio Bahner, Serbs Kosta Papic, Nebjosa Vuvucevic, Bulgarian Mitko Kostadinov Dobrev and Isreali Eyal Lachman. Kenichi will be the first Asian to take charge of Accra Hearts of Oak in their 104 years of existence.
The former ASA College (USA) head coach arrived in the country two days ago to finalize his proposed move to the Rainbow family.
Yatsuhashi’s move comes on the heels of the Phobians’ failed attempt to secure the services of Medeama SC’s trainer Tom Strand , having failed to fulfill the ‘Buy out’ clause demanded by the Tarkwah-based side.
Yatsuhashi 46, holds a USSF A and National Youth coaching licence, a CONCACAF International Coaching licence, an NSCAA Goalkeeping diploma, a KNBV Advanced diploma. He is expected to meet his new employers today.
Hearts Of Oak, finished the just-ended First Capital Plus Premier League on the 13th position with 40 points, and have gone six seasons without a league title.
Credit: Daily Guide
