Sports
Time to change direction, GFA
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That Ghana football has been on the decline for many years now is no secret; it is like stating what is obvious to every follower of the game.
It is a situation the blind can see; the deaf can hear about and even a person suffering a speech impairment (Mutism) can utter something about.
What is, however, not known is exactly when Ghana’s enviable ‘birth right’ as a continental super power in football was lost.
The degeneration did not start today. It started many years ago under the supervision or the watchful eyes of the same stakeholders that called themselves ‘football people.’
Together with other stakeholders that carve a living out of this game that brought joy and happiness to many homes when clubs or the national teams perform excellently at the international stage, the game of football in Ghana has been brought to its knees through certain actions and inactions.
It is no longer appealing to the ordinary Ghanaian soccer fan again and that may best explain why the craze for the typical ‘agoro’ soccer identified with Ghanaian teams, has lost its appeal not only at the continental level but the world at large.
Gone were the days when Ghana was guaranteed two slots each in the now christened Confederation of African Football (CAF) Clubs Champions League and Confederations Cup tournament.
That platform used to be a regular ‘playground’ for the nation’s traditional outfits, Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko who were mostly at the forefront of Ghana’s rich club football history.
For over a decade now, that privilege has gone and does not seem to be coming soon. This is because our performance at the continental level keep sinking.
But of much concern for football administrators in the country should be the absence of Ghanaian teams in the newly introduced Africa Football League (AFL).
The maiden edition ended last two weeks with South African champions, Mamelodi Sundowns as the winners.
Teams selected for the inaugural edition include Enyimba FC (Nigeria), Wydad AC (Morocco), Mamelodi Sundowns FC (South Africa), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), and Atlético Petróleos de Luanda (Angola).
These were teams Hearts and Kotoko used to rub shoulders with.
Currently, they do not appear to be competitors at any level. While these clubs have managed to stay relevant and in the thick of affairs in their respective countries, it is not the case for Hearts and Kotoko who struggle every season with clubs that can comfortably be branded as their ‘grandchildren.’
Other representatives like Aduana Stars, Medeama SC, Dreams FC, Bechem United and others have attempted to stake a claim for Ghana but to no avail.
The winner for the inaugural edition took home a whopping amount of $4 million while the runner-up got $3 million and $1.7 million and $1 million reserved for semi-finalists and quarter-finalists, respectively. These are amounts that can change the fortunes of these clubs.
On Thursday, the African Club Association (ACA), consisting of some of Africa’s finest football clubs was launched at the CAF Headquarters in Cairo.
The ACA hopes to bring together stakeholders from across the African football landscape, fostering collaboration, innovation, and excellence within the continent’s club football scene.
Heads of these clubs are known as African Club Chairmen. They lead the formation of the ACA which objectives include protecting and promoting the interest of African football clubs, and ensuring that African football clubs were commercially viable, globally competitive and profitable.
Is it not heartbreaking for all these major interventions in African football to be happening without any mention of Ghana and any of the top clubs?
This speaks of the direction Ghana football has taken and the earlier the wheel was re-invented, the better it will be for us. Ghana needs her clubs at the pinnacle of African football.
By Andrew Nortey
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 would go into the annals of Ghana football as one of the darkest days for the Black Stars.
In an AFCON 2027 qualifier against The Gambia, the Black Stars did not only break the hearts of the fans, but conceded a defeat that left followers with sleepless nights.
Coming from a Matchday 1 defeat to the Elephants of La Cote d’Ivoire in Bouake, the outcome of the second game against The Gambia was one that was non-negotiable.
It had the ability to spark a revival to contend for one of the slots for the next AFCON showpiece.
The Gambia is a formidable side but definitely, not one to have frustrated Ghanaians to watch in pain and awe the Black Stars lose a game from a winning position.
That is a possibility in the game of football but when the stakes are high in such cases, it becomes unacceptable to the fans.
And grievously has Carlos Queiroz answered the massive call for his resignation.
At his post-match press conference, he made it clear that bowing out was the easiest decision but insisted that would not solve the myriad problems facing the Black Stars.
For the coach to be fired two days after that declaration raises a lot of concerns as he seem to be aware of existing problems the FA may even not know.
Unfortunately, coaches over the years have always been sacrificial lambs in situations of this nature but when he talks about particular problems affecting the team, his sack leaves much to be desired.
That aside, it is important to also take another look at the country’s pool of players, both local and foreign based.
Some of us have been advocates for forming the Black Stars around the ever-present local players who may lack the skill, finesse and flamboyance believed to give the foreign based players the edge over their local counterparts.
The locals, however, compensate that with their commitment and dedication.
Sadly, it appears this consistent call have fallen on deaf ears and no one wants to give any attention to that.
If the fear is that results would be poor, then that would be no excuse again following outcomes of the Stars in their last two games.
From what was witnessed in Bouake and Accra, one can confidently boast that there isn’t much difference between the foreign based players and the locals.
If there is any, it would probably be the treatment given to the two sets of players.
The call on the FA now is to give major consideration to the local players. Any coach that sees no good in the local players must have no business handling the national team.
That does not also shut the door on the ‘foreigners’. We witnessed how the early 90s teams were beautifully blended to have a formidable team.
It is time the FA goes back to the basics. With the locals, there can be more camps, leading to improved cohesion. Any foreign based player invited must settle into the team quickly and make a difference. That is the only way to rescue the Black Stars from its free fall.
By Andrew Nortey
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Manchester City Football Club has lodged a comprehensive appeal against the opinion of the Premier League Commission in relation to its long-running disciplinary case.
In a statement on Thursday, October 1, 2026, the Club confirmed that the appeal was filed at 7pm.
“The Club’s firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe,” the statement said.
City maintained its innocence, stressing that a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all its positions relating to the case.
“We will continue to respect due process and are necessarily restricted in what we can say further until all proceedings are complete,” the Club added.
The appeal sets the stage for the next phase of the legal battle between the Premier League champions and the league over alleged breaches of financial rules, which the club has consistently denied.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
