Sports
Doomsday of Ghana football
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Otto Addo – Stars coach
Pairing Ghana’s Black Stars in the same qualifying group with Angola, Sudan and Niger brought joy to football lovers.
Judging the standards of the Black Stars on the continent, there was not a single doubt about Ghana’s ability to snatch one of the two slots for the Morocco AFCON.
What, perhaps might not be certain was whether they would top the group or take the second spot.
But considering the Black Stars pedigree, a second place in the group would be considered to have happened under unexpected circumstances.
No prophet of the land predicted otherwise. Ghanaians were united over how the qualifiers would end.
Counting some months after, Ghanaians have witnessed football’s doomsday as the favourites complete six qualifying games without a win. It is surely the lowest to which the nation’s pride can sink.
After a disastrous draw with Niger on opening day of qualifiers, the Black Stars lost their first home game to Angola in Kumasi and drew with Sudan to end the first round with two points.
Three days later, a Sudanese team guided by a former Black Stars trainer, James Kwesi Appiah, masterminded a historic feat over the Ghanaians, leaving them with a tall mountain to climb to Morocco.
The Black Stars under Coach Otto Addo were left with the huge task of winning their last two games against Angola and Niger and hope Sudan drop all points in matches against the same sides.
The question on the lips of many, then, was even more about the Stars ability to win those two matches than where and how Sudan would let this opportunity presented them in over 12 years slip through their fingers.
When the time came for the last two matches, indeed, Sudan lost the first match; crashing to a 4-0 defeat to Niger. The ball was then in the court of the Black Stars to prove they have the wherewithal to cause what would have been one of the greatest comebacks in AFCON qualifiers.
Face to face with Angola, the Black Stars were held to a 1-1 draw to dash any hope of that comeback.
The final clash with Niger was therefore reduced to a mere academic exercise, one for pride and all expected the Black Stars to shine to seal a third position.
Sadly, that confirmed Ghana’s unimaginable football decline as the Black Stars suffered a 2-1 defeat to Niger at the Accra Sports Stadium.
From that moment, the conversation has been on what the contributory factors to this free fall could be and find ways to address them.
That line of conversation has put Ghana Football Association and its leadership as well as Coach Otto Addo on the firing line with all manner of invectives directed at them.
Others have expressed opinions that players were also to blame for the disappointing outcomes.
The three, however, cannot escape blame in how disappointing and unattractive the Black Stars, four-time AFCON winners, have become lately.
Coach Addo inspired hope when he led a hurriedly arranged technical team to guide the Black Stars in a two-legged face-off with Nigeria.
After securing the World Cup ticket, Addo led the Black Stars to the Qatar World Cup where the Stars put up another shambolic performance and failed to progress from the group stage.
As if that was not a good signal, a search committee formed by the FA settled on him again and was specifically tasked to qualify the team for the 2025 AFCON and the next World Cup.
At the moment, it appears Ghanaian have no confidence in Addo again, may be except the FA.
After the Niger debacle, many prayed and hoped that they would wake up the following to read or hear about the resignation of the coach and his technical team or the FA hierarchy bowing out.
Rather, what was witnessed was the typical Ghanaian attitude of holding on to straws even when the storm is very tumultuous.
Ghanaians have been asked to be calm because what has happened was not what was bargained for and that it is with cool heads that Ghana can overcome the football crisis.
The kind of players available to the team also leaves much to be desired, let alone the discipline and character they show on the field.
Ghanaians watch some of these players in top leagues across the world and know what they can bring to the table. However, they are given the chance to play for the national team and they behave like boys who have just been introduced to the sport.
Otto Addo’s future remains unclear as of now but if he were to remain in charge, he must take a second look at the players he invites to play for the national team.
The year 2025 is just around the corner. That will come with the resumption of World Cup qualifiers. What that means is that there is no time to waste.
Preparation must start in earnest but in doing so, Addo must ensure he assembles the very best and not those that they want to try because they are connected to top officials on the corridors of power.
By Andrew Nortey
In a resolve to build clearer pathway for athletes, the President of the Ghana Taekwondo Federation (GTF), Mr Frederick Lartey Otu, has indicated the new executive’s commitment to strengthen collaboration with major stakeholders in the development and promotion of the sport.
According to him, it would be difficult to achieve its set targets set for the new elected term without a good working relations with such collaborators.
Mr Otu said this when he addressed participants at the closing ceremony of the 16th edition of the Korean Ambassador’s Cup Taekwondo Championship held last Saturday at the Borteyman Sports Complex.
The event saw the Greater Accra Region’s dominance as they amassed a total of 26 medals consisting of 10 gold, eight silver and eight bronze medals.
The Upper East Region followed in second position with a gold, silver and six bronze medals and Western Region in third after annexing a gold and silver medals.
According to him, the new executive will continue to strengthen collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and Recreation (MoSR), National Sports Authority (NSA), Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), the Korean Embassy in Accra, corporate organisations as well as educational institutions and Regional Associations.
“Our recent engagements with key stakeholders have reinforced our belief that there is a willingness to support Ghana Taekwondo when we present clear programmes, demonstrate accountability and work collaboratively,” he stated.
Consequently, he assured of the executive board’s commitment to good governance, transparency, accountability, teamwork and respect for all stakeholders.
“We’ll listen to our regions, clubs, coaches, athletes, officials and members of the Taekwondo family. We’ll continue to improve our administrative systems, documentation, communication, financial planning and programme coordination,” he added.
Mr Otu noted that the board was committed to building a sustainable Taekwondo development system that produces athletes, coaches, referees and administrators capable of representing Ghana with pride.
He said starting this month, the GTF will roll out its first major initiative – the Regional Taekwondo Awareness Campaign, to be launched in the Ashanti Region.
The campaign is designed to take Taekwondo directly to the schools and communities, particularly areas where sporting opportunities are limited.
“Our immediate target is to begin with at least five deprived regions — Northern Region, Upper West Region, Bono Region, Central Region and Ashanti Region — and identify young people with the potential to become future Taekwondo athletes,” he emphasised.
Mr Otu expressed gratitude to the Korean embassy for its continuous support for the championship which he said had given Ghanaian athletes the opportunity to compete, gain valuable experience, test themselves against quality opposition and develop the confidence necessary to progress to higher levels of competition.
At the end of the competition, the embassy presented a number of Taekwondo attires to the GTF to boost the sport’s promotion in Ghana.
By Andrew Nortey
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CAF 2nd Vice President and President of the Ghana Football Association, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, has visited the Black Princesses in Poland ahead of their opening game at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The GFA President, who watched the team’s training session, assured the players of the Association’s full support and backed them to make history by qualifying from the group stage for the first time.
“A few days ago, I was in a chat with the head coach and I promised that I was going to join him for what I think is the most important game for us, which is the first game,” President Simeon-Okraku told the team.
“For me, the first game is the most important, because if we start well, chances are that we will do well. History tells us that this team has always been here. We’ve always been at this tournament for seven consecutive times. My inner faith is telling me that we have enough quality here to qualify from this group.”
He praised the players for their sacrifice and patience throughout preparations, saying their investment would be repaid on the pitch.
“You have been patient and gone through the troubles and the hassles. And you are here today. I believe that these sacrifices you have made, these investments you have made, will be repaid,” he said.
The GFA President stressed that Ghana has the quality to overcome their group opponents.
“We are faced by three opponents — Ecuador, Korea Republic and France. These three nations, believe me, are no better than us. We have enough quality in this team to win games in this group and to make it to the second round of the competition.”
“This tournament is played every two years, so after 14 years, this is the 16th year now — this group must be the one that makes it out of the group to the knockout stage. And this must happen.”
“I think the team is ready. The technical team have done a good job. The players have conducted themselves well. We will continue to support you to ensure you get the best to be able to compete at this level.”
He also charged the final squad to make those who missed out proud.
“A few of you were here but didn’t make the squad and had to leave. This is that moment that you have to make them proud.”
President Simeon-Okraku was accompanied to the training ground by Chief of Staff at the GFA, Michael Osekre, and President of Dreams FC, Jiji Alifoe.
Ghana will open their campaign against Ecuador on September 6, 2026, before facing Korea Republic and France in their other group matches.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
