As an avid student of football, C.K Akonnor has endured a mixed bag that the game presents, with his career spanning over two decades.
From the pressures of an on field sporting personality, the retired ex-Ghana captain knows a thrilling test awaits him when he takes his place in the dugout in his yet to be fulfilled managerial profession.
His playing career started with local sides like Young Hearts - a youth side in Tema, Okwawu United and AshantiGold - then Obuasi Goldfields - before making the move abroad in 1992 with Germany his next destination.
He started with Fortuna Koln in the Bundesliga II where he enjoyed a six-year spell before signing up for VFL Wolfsburg in 1998. At Wolfsburg, the former Ghana international rose to become the captain in the 2001-02 season. He left Wolfsburg to join SpVgg Unterhaching in January 2004.
He ended time in Germany in 2005 when he moved to Danish side, AC Horsens, helping them gain promotion to the first division.
Akonnor then made another move, this time to join Cyprus' top flight, with Alki Larnaca FC.
The ex-Ghana captain made a return to where it all started in his European sojourn, Germany and in the summer of 2008, he signed for SC Langenhagen, a regional league side.
As Akonnor retires he certainly does not want to join the people in the VIP stands at the stadium, become a TV pundit or a traveler going to see games.
Before he called it time on his career, C.K Akonnor was presented with a fine opportunity to really pick his steps, which he has gracefully done with his next target still in the football industry.
Capped 48 times for the senior side, the Black Stars, the midfielder who took over the senior team’s captainship from Abedi Ayew Pele in 1998 says he first prepared for life as a coach by taking up a role in player management as his neared the end of his playing cycle.
“I will love to do it (coaching). I have watched coaches like Sam Arday over the years and I believe there are still many young coaches around, you can see Sellas Tetteh doing it. I will love to coach one of the national teams.
“But I want to start from the junior sides, thus either Under 17 or Under 20. I have to start from somewhere,” he said in an interview.
“It would be nice to understudy maybe Sellas or someone in one of the junior national teams with the support of the Ghana Football Association. From there, I would gain enough experience.”