Charles Kwablan Akonnor, former head coach of the Black Stars, has disagreed with assertions that he took the senior national team coaching job quite early.

Speaking on Prime Take on the Joy News Channel, Akonnor said he needed encouragement to succeed, but he was rather presented with a toxic atmosphere which affected his job.

"No, [ I didn't take the job too early]. I don't think it was early, what I needed was encouragement and I didn't get it," he told JoySports' Muftawu Nabila Abdulai.

"When you look at the atmosphere that I worked, it was a tough one. It got to a time I didn't know who to trust, or who to speak to.

"I was in the middle of too many things which made it difficult for me, very difficult," he emphasised.

"Listen," he began the narration of his journey. "I had been an assistant, U-17, Frimpong Manso, I had been an assistant, Orlando [Wellington], U-20, I was assistant, Black Stars. I have coached Eleven Wise, Right to Dream Academy which is now the biggest Academy in West Africa, Hearts of Oak, big team; Kotoko, AshGold, and I am getting close to 50 [years old] and you say it was early for me?

"You want me to be 70 or 80 years old before I manage the team? It didn't work as it ought to doesn't mean it was too early for me," he said.

Akonnor's appointment was censured by even former teammates, one he says was very disappointing and discouraging.

"When I first started the job, a lot of people criticised my appointment which was disappointing. A lot of people who have played in the national team before and they know me; it is discouraging. It was more challenging and I was not too favoured. I don't know what they were looking for."

When reports were at their peak that the leadership of the FA were interfering in the work of Akonnor, many advised him to resign.

He said he thought of it a couple times, but it was the last thing to do.

"Maybe, the mistake I made was not focusing on my job, but rather turning around looking for help and support," he revealed.

"There were a few times... It was really difficult, but walking away from the job was not the right thing to, but the pressure was too much; not the pressure from outside, but the pressure within was unbearable.

"I was accused so many times of things which were happening and those things seriously distracted me from doing my job," he stated.

"When you sit to have a common discussion and the kind of the questions you are asked gets you shocked and you have to think about it. It wasn't the best.

Akonnor was sacked in September 2021 after leading Ghana to a 1-0 loss against South Africa.