.
And he is every bit as controversial, never afraid to speak his mind, point a finger at blame, or assert himself.
During his period coaching Accra Great Olympics, Sekondi Hasaacas, and AshantiGold, Duncan became known not just for his ability to will his team on but also for his blunt style and fingering of referees when his side did not win.
In two seasons, AshantiGold did not win the Ghana Premier League they so badly wanted because, according to Duncan, the referees just would not let them.
So the South African football public beware! This is a man who will ruffle a few feathers big or small. Those who know him well and worked with him also say he is a man who will get the job done.
“Duncan knows what he is about; there is no question about that,” Kudjoe Fianoo chief executive of AshantiGold told KickOffGhana.com.
“He prepares the players well, gets many of them on his side, and stands up for them too. The most striking thing during his spell here was how much he would stand up for his players.”
That does not, however, mean Duncan gets on well with everyone. At AshantiGold he had a big fall out with Emmanuel Osei Kufour, one of the most revered figures in the local game who later claimed that Duncan’s man-management is his weakness.
Eventually, Duncan won the tussle between the two, and Kuffour was shipped out to Asante Kotoko.
Fianoo says Duncan’s style means existing Free State Stars big names cannot take their places for granted.
“He had a fall out with two of our biggest names when he first came because he won’t treat anyone like a star. Eventually, when the players get to know him and understand his ways I am sure they will get on.”
He, however, has a bias for young players, Fianoo adds. “You can be sure that if an older player is in competition with a promising youngster Duncan will opt for the younger player. That is his style.”
It is a style yet to fetch Duncan major honors but then again in Ghana you rarely win the league unless you are Hearts or Asante Kotoko, the Ghanaian equivalent of Kaiser Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
And those will be the games Duncan will be up for as he attempts to mold Free State into a top-three side and make a name for himself in the PSL.
