Asante Kotoko head coach Eric Tinkler has revealed his ambition to one day coach either Ghana or South Africa at the international level, describing the FIFA World Cup as the ultimate stage for any football manager.

The 55-year-old South African was appointed head coach of the Porcupine Warriors ahead of the 2026/27 Ghana Premier League season and has already enjoyed early success with the club.

Tinkler guided Kotoko to their first silverware of the campaign after they defeated rivals Hearts of Oak 4-1 on penalties to win the 2026 Democracy Cup at Baba Yara Stadium.

Speaking to Akoma FM, Tinkler said managing a national team remains one of his biggest career ambitions and believes coaching at the World Cup represents the pinnacle of the profession.

“I think the pinnacle for every coach is to coach a national team. I said this last night at a press conference: that is where I would like to see myself,” he said.

The former Cape Town City and SuperSport United coach indicated that he would welcome the opportunity to lead either Bafana Bafana or Ghana’s Black Stars should such a chance arise in the future.

“Be it the South African national team, be it the Ghanaian national team, because you want to be on the biggest stage in the world, which is the World Cup,” Tinkler stated.

He stressed that participating in football’s biggest tournament remains the highest achievement a coach can aspire to.

“As a coach, that’s the pinnacle of coaching: you’ve coached a team in the World Cup, so hopefully I get that opportunity one day,” he added.

When asked directly whether he would accept an offer from either South Africa or Ghana if approached, Tinkler gave a brief but emphatic response.

“Yes,” he replied.
For now, however, Tinkler’s immediate focus remains on Asante Kotoko, who begin their 2026/27 Ghana Premier League campaign with an away fixture against newly promoted Debibi United.