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Black Stars, a team in crisis (Part 1)
The Black Stars squad for AFCON 2023 IN Cote d’Ivoire
Gradually, the mention of the Black Stars, referencing the senior national male football team, is becoming a nuisance in the ears of Ghanaian fans and non-fans.
It used to be a team that brought joy to Ghanaians despite winning nothing.
That notwithstanding, the fans chose to adore the team; not purposefully for the result they produce but the sight of some of the great players that put the nation on the map as a football powerhouse.
But it has become very difficult to write about this team and lump all the generations together.
It is easier when one separates the trophy-winning generations without recognisable reward packages from the overly-pampered, over-hyped and paid generation that has added nothing to what their predecessors won or achieved.
Perhaps, it is the reason Ghana’s Black Stars trophy cabinet still has only four trophies – all AFCON, with the last in 1982 regardless of the huge expenditure that goes into bonuses, accommodation, preparation for games, logistics and many others.
The excuse has always been about the evolution of the game and the fact that more countries have developed or improved.
Others also held the view of the game becoming more competitive and has moved from the era where only four countries took part in the AFCON.
But from Ghana’s performance in the last two AFCONs, especially Cote d’Ivoire 2023, one can easily argue that Chris Hughton’s Black Stars would not have qualified to the final in that four-nation AFCON.
The team has won the AFCON four times (1963, 1965, 1978, and 1982), and finished as runners-up on five occasions (1968, 1970, 1992, 2010, and 2015).
That clearly explains the quality and seriousness of the generations.
For over 40 years, there is no credible achievement to be attributed to the team; be it AFCON or World Cup.
When the Black Stars secured Ghana’s first World Cup qualification for Germany 2006 that was equated to about two AFCON trophies by a few overzealous and excited fans; but they can be pardoned because the ecstasy and elation that followed was overwhelming.
After four editions, a quarterfinal berth became the highest feat and Africa country chalked until Morocco did the unthinkable – a semifinal berth.
In spite of Ghana’s form, a few brave-hearted fans trusted the Black Stars to deliver at the ongoing AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire.
Interestingly, the campaign crashed painfully in a repeat of the 2021 edition and manner that should even make every member of the team resign from whatever role assigned to him or her.
The Cameroun AFCON marked a sad end with an ego-battering 3-2 defeat to Comoros at the Roumdjé Adjia Stadium in Garoua.
That was after the Black Stars had managed to pick just a point in their first two matches.
It left them with a huge task of winning at all cost after losing their Group C opener 1-0 to Morocco and surrendered a lead to Gabon in the second game.
When it got to the crunch against the Islanders from Comoros, the Black Stars conceded late to complete a shambolic show at what was expected to be the biggest platform for African countries to show the world what they were made of.
The ‘Director’ for that ‘play’ in Cameroun was returnee Serbian trainer Milovan Rajevac.
It appears Hughton was presented with the same script but altered a few scene to make the play his own.
He met sharks from another Island – Cape Verde in a Group B opener and lost as Ghana’s struggles against Islanders continued.
By Andrew Nortey
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
