Black Stars goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi has opened up about his strained relationship with former youth coach Christopher Nimley, claiming the criticism directed at him has gone beyond football and become personal.
The Ghana international was responding to recent comments from Nimley, who questioned his communication and leadership during Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, insisting it had been an issue since his youth football days.
Speaking to Sporty FM, Ati-Zigi acknowledged the important role Nimley played in his development but admitted their once-close relationship has broken down over the years.
“Christopher Nimley has played a big role in my life, and I don’t dispute that. I played in his team when I was young, so I know him. But after some time, we weren’t able to maintain the relationship we had before, and things have been really bad between us,” he said.
The St. Gallen goalkeeper revealed he was particularly disappointed that the criticism had been made publicly, insisting there is a difference between honest analysis and repeatedly targeting an individual.
“There are always going to be critics in football, but when you keep talking about someone over and over again, it stops being criticism and becomes a personal problem.”
Ati-Zigi believes the comments have crossed the line from constructive feedback into a sustained personal attack.
“When you hear his criticism, it no longer sounds like fair criticism but something personal. It’s like, ‘I don’t care what this person does, I’m just going to talk about him from morning to evening.’”
Despite his frustration, the 29-year-old stressed that he welcomes honest assessments of his performances but expects criticism to remain objective.
“He hasn’t been fair with the way he talks. If there was a problem, he didn’t have to go to the media and create this whole narrative. He should find a way to criticise fairly and not make it personal because this is really not cool.”
Ati-Zigi was one of Ghana’s standout performers at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, producing several impressive displays as the Black Stars reached the Round of 32 before being eliminated by Colombia.