Yusif Basigi (born 1 March 1972) is a Ghanaian professional football manager who currently coaches the Hasaacas Ladies F.C. and the Ghana women's national under-20 football team. He previously coached former Ghana Premier League team; Sekondi Hasaacas in 2016, Ghana women's national under-17 football team and Ghana women's national football team for 5 years from 2012 to 2017.
Early life and education
Yusif Basigi was born on 1 March 1972 in Daboya within the Savannah region of Ghana. He is a trained teacher and has a diploma in Education from the Bagabaga Teacher Training College. He also holds a bachelor's degree in Health, Physical Training and Recreation from the University of Education, Winneba.
He has since then been working as a Physical Education (PE) instructor rising to become the PE coordinator for the Shama District in the Western Region since 2008. In 2004 and 2005, he led the Western Region to win the second cycle regional girls soccer competition. He was awarded as the Western Region most outstanding coach and Western Region coach of the year in 2007 and 2013 respectively. His service and role in the development and promotion of girls' soccer in Western Region Schools Sports Federation, he was honoured by the Ghana Education Service.
Playing career
Basigi developed the interest for football at a tender age, but started playing professionally as a left-winger with Tamale Road Masters a former lower-tier side in Northern Region of Ghana. He moved abroad to play for RC Bobo Dioulasso in Burkina Faso and later returned Ghana to play for Police National in Takoradi.
Coaching career
In 2003, Basigi started taking his coaching badges during GFA president Ben Koufie's 5-year football development plan which involved development of coaches. He went through the ranks attending basic coaching training courses and seminars to earn his coaching licenses, CAF Licence ‘C’, ‘B’ and ‘A’. He has had coaching attachment ZFK Napredak Krusevac, Serbia and ATS Buntentor e.V. at Bremen, Germany. In May 2019, he went on a coaching internship program at the Pick Up Academy at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in England.
Sekondi Hasaacas
Basigi was a technical member of Sekondi Hasaacas. He was part of the team in 2013 when they gained promotion to the Ghana Premier League. He was also the head coach of Sekondi Hasaacas' second and youth team Malavands. In October 2013, he replaced Kobina Amissah as the head coach of the senior team. He led the team to a seventh-place finish at the end of both the 2013–14 and 2015 seasons. He stepped down in October 2016 after the team were relegated in the 2016 season to the Division One League. He has since then been serving as the technical director for the entire Sekondi Hasaacas brand doubling as the head coach of the female side, Hasaacas Ladies.
Hasaacas Ladies
In 2013, Basigi led Hasaacas Ladies to win the inaugural Ghana Women's Premier League title after winning the Southern Zone league and beating Fabulous Ladies by 2–1 in the championship final through a brace from Jennifer Cudjoe. The following year he led the team to win the Premier League again, beating Fabulous Ladies via a 5–3 penalty shootout in the final after the scores remained goalless in extra time. In December 2015, he led the team to their third consecutive league title this time around beating Northern Zone champions Ampem Darkoa Ladies by a lone goal courtesy Samira Suleman in the 66th minute. In the 2015–16 season, Hasaacas Ladies finished in Southern Zone in first place and qualified for the championship final against Ampem Darkoa Ladies. They however lost in the final by a lone goal scored by Grace Asantewaa via direct free kick, ending the Hasmals three year dominance.
Hasaacas's league form during the 2017 season was not as impressive as in the previous campaigns with the club finishing in fifth place in the Southern Zone league losing out on qualifying for the championship final for the first time in the league's history.