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Hearts of Oak name Richard Kingson as goalkeepers’ coach in a move aimed at strengthening the club’s technical department ahead of the 2026/27 Ghana Premier League season.
The Phobians confirmed the appointment of former Ghana international as their new goalkeepers’ coach as part of an ongoing restructuring of the technical team under newly appointed head coach Nebojsa Kapor. The Serbian tactician is expected to be assisted by Sulley Adamu, whose confirmation is anticipated in the coming days.
Kingson returns to Hearts of Oak after a brief spell with the club in 2021 in the same capacity, bringing with him a wealth of experience from both his playing and coaching career. His arrival is expected to reinforce a goalkeeping department that emerged as one of the strongest in the Ghana Premier League last season.
The former Black Stars assistant captain has previously served as Ghana’s senior national team goalkeepers’ coach, working with the country’s shot stoppers during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He has also held a similar role at Accra Great Olympics, where he helped develop several promising goalkeepers.
The appointment reflects Hearts of Oak’s determination to build a competitive technical team capable of returning the club to the summit of Ghanaian football after finishing third in the league last season.
Experienced Goalkeeping Icon Returns
Richard Kingson remains one of Ghana’s most celebrated goalkeepers, enjoying an international career that spanned more than a decade. Affectionately known as “Olele,” and an administrative error that altered the spelling of his surname from Kingston to Kingson, a name that eventually remained since.
Kingson made about 93 appearances for the Black Stars and remarkably scored one goal for the national team, a rare feat for a goalkeeper. He represented Ghana at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and the 2010 tournament in South Africa, where his outstanding performances played a crucial role in the country’s historic run to the quarter-finals.
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His displays in South Africa remain among the finest by any Ghanaian goalkeeper at a World Cup. Kingson produced a series of match-winning saves throughout the tournament as the Black Stars became only the third African nation to reach the last eight of the competition at the time.
Ghana came within a penalty shootout of reaching the semi-finals before suffering a heartbreaking defeat to Uruguay after a dramatic 1-1 draw.
At club level, Kingson built an impressive career across Europe and Africa. He featured for Turkish giants Galatasaray, Swedish side Hammarby, and Ghanaian club Accra Great Olympics. In England, he represented Wigan Athletic, Birmingham City and Blackpool, gaining valuable experience in one of the world’s most competitive football environments.
His exposure to different football cultures and coaching philosophies is expected to prove invaluable as he begins a new chapter with Hearts of Oak.
Hearts Eye League Glory
Kingson’s immediate task will be to maintain and further improve a goalkeeping unit that excelled throughout the 2025/26 campaign. First-choice goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, who has established himself as one of the country’s best shot stoppers and earned recognition with the Black Stars, played a leading role in Hearts’ defensive solidity.
Together with deputy goalkeeper Solomon Agbasi, Hearts recorded an outstanding 24 clean sheets in 34 league matches, one of the best defensive records in the competition. Despite that impressive achievement, the Phobians narrowly missed out on the Premier League title, finishing third behind the eventual champions Medeama SC and Bibiani GoldStars.
Club officials will hope Kingson’s vast experience at the highest level can help transform those defensive strengths into championship success. His arrival also provides an opportunity for the club’s younger goalkeepers to learn from one of Ghana’s greatest custodians, whose career was built on resilience, leadership and consistency.
The appointment is another significant step in Hearts of Oak’s rebuilding process under Kapor as the club prepares for the new season. With a refreshed technical bench and the addition of one of Ghana’s most respected football figures, the Phobians will be optimistic about ending their wait for a Ghana Premier League title, having last lifted the trophy in 2021.
