Sports
Weep not for Black Stars, Appiah (Final part)
The Black Stars
Coaches have gone and come yet the Stars remain the Stars we have known under the previous managers.
The same applies to the playing staff which has seen generations come and gone, but not been able to add to the four AFCONs won by the 1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982 year groups.
What is yet to be tried is the advice to restart the whole process with a plan that will be centred on developing local players and making them the core of the team.
This appears a gamble the ‘football people’ are not ready to take for the fear of failing to earn qualifications or being vilified and lampooned by the fans.
But to serve the FA a reminder, this is a perfect time to embrace this idea.
It is because Ghana has gotten to a stage where fans are fed up with the players for their regular disappointment.
In fairness, this should be the beginning of a completely new rebuild with focus on the local players who already possesses the demands of Kurt Okraku. The only reason it has not been considered is the lack of faith in them.
What is needed for them will be patience from fans. This may have been tried in the past without the success rate expected because it would take a lot of time for the team to gel.
Former Black Stars defender, Shilla Illiasu, made a similar call after the match, calling for a development plan to follow to build a new team.
In Illiasu’s view, it would be in the best interest of the FA to abandon the quest to qualify for competitions in the next five years; a period within which recommendations in the plan would be implemented.
“Going forward, I think the time has come for every Ghanaian to let us understand that there is a problem with the team and in order to build a solid team, we need to forget about AFCON and World Cup and to put together a plan; maybe a five year development plan and let the whole country understand that there is a problem with the team.”
Illiasu has hit the nail right on it head. It is surely the way to go to stop going around in circles with players who have regularly shown that they lack the quality needed to get Ghana the results.
It may sound a tough call but without the luxury of foreign based players for Sudan, Kwesi Appiah has shown the way in a similar fashion; building a team consisting of home based players.
If Appiah was asked to implement this in Ghana about five years ago, he would have been among those to brush aside the idea.
But in a country with few options, he has built a team which is a point away from qualifying to an AFCON at the expense of Ghana.
Of course, that does not automatically transform Appiah into the best coach on the continent; at least he has proven that one can build a winsome team with players plying their trade on home soil.
If at a point foreign based players showed promise and wants to join, such a player must be made to fight for a role.
For now all seem lost for Ghana. For Sudan, Kwesi Appiah and his Ghanaian assistant, Ignatius Kwame Osei-Fosu, and their charges have every reason to savour the moment. They should not weep for Ghana because his blueprint full of belief in the abilities of local based players can be implemented.
Appiah’s has worn a sombre mood obviously due to his affiliation to Ghana but as a professional with a greater understanding of the game, he has every reason to celebrate with Sudanese.
The rest would be left to the ‘football people’ to take a major decision to halt the downward spiral of our game.
By Andrew Nortey
Sports
Black Starlets arrives in Morocco on U-17 AFCON mission …FA boss charges team to make Ghana proud
The Black Starlets, the national U-17 male team, have safely arrived in Casablanca ahead of the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The team departed Accra on Wednesday, travelling with a 35-man contingent made up of 21 players and 14 officials, all focused on delivering a strong campaign on the continental stage.
They completed a smooth five-hour flight to Morocco, where final preparations will continue before the tournament kicks off.
The technical team is expected to fine-tune tactics and build cohesion among the squad as they gear up for the competition.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Mr Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, was present at the Accra International Airport to bid farewell to the team.
Speaking during a brief farewell at the Airport, the FA President urged the team to carry a ‘never say die’ spirit into the competition.
President Simeon-Okraku emphasised the importance of mental strength and unity, particularly in difficult moments during matches. His message was inspired by the team’s recent friendly encounters against Cote d’Ivoire, where they bounced back strongly after an initial defeat.
“I’m very happy that when you lost to Cote d’Ivoire in your first game during your friendly matches, you were able to bounce back—not only to dominate but to outscore them in the second game,” he said. “I read a lot of meaning into that, and I want all of you to keep that in your heads—that, it’s not over until it’s all over,” he added.
The FA president stressed that the ability to respond positively to setbacks would be crucial in a tournament as competitive as the AFCON.
He encouraged the players to stay united and support one another when the pressure intensifies on the continental stage.
“When the chips are down, that’s when we need to hold each other together,” Okraku added. “So go out there and make Ghana proud.”
Ghana will compete in Group D alongside Algeria, Senegal, and South Africa, with their opening match scheduled for Thursday, May 14.
Twenty-three (23) players have been called up for this month’s international friendly against Mexico.
The squad is composed of star players from the domestic league and European leagues who are closely monitored by Coach Carlos Queiroz, as well as U-23 players who will soon represent Ghana in the upcoming Olympic Games qualifiers.
Notable names include Majeed Ashimeru, Felix Afena-Gyan, Razak Simpson, and Birmingham City’s Ibrahim Osman.
Ashimeru returns to action after a long spell on the sidelines due to a muscle injury that limited his appearances at both club and national level.
Also in the team is Felix Afena-Gyan, whose last appearance for Ghana was in May last year when he featured against Trinidad and Tobago in the Unity Cup in London.
Barcelona B’s Abdul Aziz Issah, Ebenezer Annan of AS Saint-Étienne, Ibrahim Osman of Birmingham City, and Paul Reverson of Ajax FC have also been included in the squad.
Midfielder Salim Adams, one of the key players for Ghana Premier League leaders Medeama SC, leads the group of home-based players.
Others are Heart of Lions’ Ebenezer Abban, Ebenezer Adade of Dreams FC, and Nations FC captain Razak Simpson. Ghana will travel to Mexico for the international friendly on Friday, May 22, 2026.
