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Ghana football at crossroads!
• Annor Walker – Head coach, Black Galaxies
Shocks are no longer strange to Ghana football. They are now commonplace!
The other day, it was the senior national team – Black Stars, being bowled out of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon, after losing 3-2 to Island side Comoros, at the group stage.
That stunning loss culminated in a calamitous first round exit from a tournament the Stars had not won since 1982 – an unthinkable 41-year logjam.
The ongoing Championship of African Nations (CHAN), has yet another fabulous story to relate following the quarter-final elimination of Ghana’s locally-assembled national team – Black Galaxies.
Playing some lifeless piece of football, the Galaxies crashed out after suffering an ego-battering 2-0 loss to lowly-placed Niger – having earlier slumped 2-1 to Madagascar in the group stage that had only three teams.
Defending champions Morocco pulled out of the tournament at the 11th hour, citing logistical reasons after the team was denied permission to fly directly from Morocco to Algeria using their national airline – Royal Air Maroc.
Algeria one-sidedly ruptured relations with neighbours Morocco in August 2021, for various geopolitical reasons, and have since also prohibited Moroccan aircraft from flying in Algerian airspace.
Paired in Group C alongside Ghana, Sudan and Madagascar, Morocco’s absence left the three teams battling for honours.
After losing to Madagascar, the Galaxies raised their standard against the Sudan and got the result (3-1) that sent the Ghanaians to the quarters only to crash out rather disquietingly to Niger.
The Niger game was difficult to watch as the Ghanaians were comprehensively outclassed in all aspects of the evening, leaving many wondering where Ghana’s football is really drifting to.
As said here a couple of weeks ago, Ghana football has sunk so low or speedily plummeting at a neck-break pace, and we shall be reduced to nothingness if we do not wake up now to fix the miserable plunge.
Dishonesty in player selection, player quality and player commitment are just a few justifications why our football is struggling. This same reason applies to the plunge experienced at the senior level. Whatever reasons, there are to it, fact remains that Ghana football is in the doldrums.
President of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), Kwabena Yeboah, minced no words when he alluded to that assertion during last weekend’s 47th Awards Night of the association, calling for a profound reflection on the nation’s deteriorating fortunes in football in recent years.
The SWAG capo howled at the miserable performances of Ghanaian football clubs and national teams in competitions – scolding the Ghana Football Association (GFA) over its major failure.
“We have to do a sober introspection into our lives as a football nation. We need to work smart and invest meaningfully in our sport to halt the rot. Isn’t it sad that in our last four World Cup appearances, we cannot boast of any legacy project from the FIFA money much of which was shared among players and officials?
“We certainly have to take a second look at the practice, for instance, of paying as much as $100,000 to some management members as appearance fee,” he said.
Mr Yeboah could not have put it better, and it is high time we woke up as a nation to put a long-lasting cessation to this malady.
It is also very imperative we realised that we are no longer one of the Gullivers of the African game. We are becoming the whipping boys at tournaments we are expected to glow. It is pretty sad!
By John Vigah
Ghana’s parliament has marked the 2nd edition of May Day 2026 under the theme “ Welcome Home”.
It was special day meant to celebrate the invaluable support of the workforce, recognizing the commitment, resilience, and contributions of workers to institutional growth and national development.
Delivering the message on behalf of the Speaker, the 1st Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, described the theme as very apt, appropriate, and timely, noting that Parliament is more than a workplace, it is a shared home.
He emphasized that we cannot speak about work without speaking about people, reminding everyone that the true measure of our work is the well-being of our people.
He urged that our traditional clothing become an integral part of our everyday clothing, and that our local languages must become integral to our daily lives, interwoven into education and practiced at home.
Referencing Standing Order 63, which captures the use of local language as optional in deliberations, he encouraged a renewed commitment to identity, saying it is significant that we “come home” and present who we are so future generations can inherit a story they can fully tell.
The Clerk, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, in his remarks commended officers for their dedication and devotion to duty, calling on them to go the extra mile and leave legacies.
Echoing the reminder that an unexamined life is not worth living, he described the event as an invitation to reconnect with our roots through cultural revival.
The Deputy Clerk, C&FMS, Dr. Gloria Sarku Kumawu, urged all not to forget their roots, the people behind the stories of ministries, industries, and the strides made both in-house and beyond.
What began last year has now become a meaningful tradition, showcasing Ghanaian heritage, fostering unity, and encouraging innovation under the principle of diversity for unity and diversity for progress, she added.
The gathering brought together leadership, public officials, and staff across all levels, along with the media, standing as a unifying platform that honored service, celebrated culture, and reaffirmed a shared commitment to national development.
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Manhyia would serve as Ghana’s unifying force …Otumfuo assures on commemoration of 27 years on the Golden Stool
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, last Friday celebrated his 27th enstoolment with a colourful and culture-rich ceremony at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, drawing a distinguished gathering of dignitaries from across Ghana and beyond.
Clad in splendid kente and adorned in rich traditional regalia, the dignitaries added colour and elegance to the occasion, as the palace grounds came alive with a vibrant display of Ghanaian culture.
Traditional drumming, dancing and symbolic rites underscored the deep-rooted heritage of the Ashanti Kingdom, captivating guests and reaffirming the value of tradition in modern society.
Speaking at a high-level Executive Gala organised by the Diaspora Affairs Office of the Office of the President in strategic partnership with the E ON 3 Group, the ‘World-Meets-in-Ghana’ gala, the Asantehene urged Ghanaians to guard against the divisive tendencies of partisan politics.
The event was to honour the Asantehene’s nearly three-decade reign under the theme ‘Advancing Peace and Sustainable Economic Development through Royal Vision’.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II noted that such attitudes threatened the country’s long-standing values of unity, civility and brotherliness.
He assured that Manhyia would continue to serve as a unifying force for the nation.
The celebration also featured the presentation of commemorative gold coins to notable national leaders, including the President, John Dramani Mahama, former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as well as Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, a former Vice President in recognition of their contributions to peace and national development.
By Spectator Reporter
