The recent performances of the senior national team, the Black Stars, has plummeted to depressive levels, with the majority of Ghanaians gradually losing interest in football.
The assumption that Ghana is a superpower in African football is a thing of the past, if not non-existent, given the Black Stars recent heartbreaking performances.
Ghana’s football problems can be linked to a variety of issues, including poor managerial abilities, technical/tactical deficiencies, and player discord, among others.
The downward surge of the Black Stars performances started after the 2017 AFCON in Gabon, where they finished fourth after being defeated by Burkina Faso in the third-place play-off match.
It was followed by Anas Aremeyaw Anas “Number 12” documentary in 2018, which unravelled numerous corrupt activities in Ghana football leading to the resignation of the President of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi.
The documentary, which was supposed to clean up Ghana’s football system, exacerbated the situation, with numerous national teams experiencing a decline in performance.
Despite continued effort to reform the GFA, the Black Stars entered the 2019 AFCON in Egypt as one of the favourites, but their Round of 16 exit stunned football enthusiasts.
Things grew worse at the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon, as the Black Stars were eliminated in the group stages after losing to Morocco and Comoros while drawing with Gabon, finishing last in the group with just a point.
At the 2023 AFCON in Cote D’ Ivoire, the Black Stars’ poor performance resulted in another group stage exit.
With the Black Stars now battling to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, the above trajectory indicates how Ghana football has reached a low point and the necessity for urgent remedies.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) can’t be exonerated in the ordeals of the Black Stars.
The major incident that exposed the GFA’s inconsistent managerial dealing was the reappointment of Otto Addo as head coach.
