Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has made headlines after a fiery 17-minute speech where he chastised the Black Stars for their ongoing poor form ahead of their crucial AFCON qualifying double-header against Sudan. Okraku’s rant highlighted his frustration with the national team’s players, but many critics point to his own leadership as the root cause of Ghana’s football decline.
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The Black Stars, once a dominant force in African football, have been on a downward spiral for the past six years, with each successive year seemingly worse than the last. After back-to-back group stage exits in the previous two AFCON tournaments, Ghana now stands on the brink of missing out on the 2025 edition altogether – a scenario not seen in 20 years. Ghana needs to secure maximum points in their final two qualifiers and hope Sudan loses their remaining matches, a situation that seems increasingly improbable.
Okraku’s tenure as GFA President, which began five years ago, has coincided with the worst period in Ghana’s football history. Despite over 80 players featuring for the Black Stars
In essence, the problems of Ghanaian football may not be about player talent or even coaching strategies. The constant of proportionality in this equation is leadership. And if Ghana’s football leadership does not take bold and meaningful steps to address the root causes of the decline, the situation will only worsen.
