President John Dramani Mahama voiced his concern about Ghana’s national football team, the Black Stars, performing poorly in his State of the Nation Address on February 27, 2025, calling them “now a pale shell of their former glory.”
He underlined that in order to restore Ghana’s standing in international sports, swift and extensive reforms are required. President Mahama instructed the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to release all national team budgets in order to maintain accountability and openness, saying,
“There will be no secrecy in how much the government spends on the national teams.”
Additionally, President Mahama directed the Minister of Sports and Recreation to hold the GFA responsible, particularly with regard to the allocation of funds for the forthcoming World Cup qualifying matches.
He also revealed plans to create a School Sports Authority in order to restructure grassroots sports development. With the goal of developing future sports champions, this organization will supervise organized interschool competitions and talent-spotting programs.
To encourage more grassroots involvement in sports, the government also pledged to build new sports facilities in underserved areas, finish youth resource centers, and renovate old national stadiums.
The government’s commitment to reviving the Black Stars and Ghana’s sports industry as a whole is demonstrated by these measures.
Ghanaian football is going through a lot of changes and challenges right now.
Ghana football’s current situation:
Ghana’s senior national team, the Black Stars, suffered a significant blow when they were not selected to play in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. This was the tournament’s first absence in more than ten years.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) responded by hiring Winfried Schäfer, a seasoned German coach, as a technical advisor to help head coach Otto Addo boost the team’s output. Schäfer’s responsibilities include managing the nation’s football development and offering technical advice.
The Domestic League:
The Ghana Premier League season of 2024–2025 is still going on, although it is being handled terribly. Traditional heavyweights like Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko are even struggling to influence the league.
Concerns regarding the current situation of football in Ghana have been expressed by prominent figures in the sport. Ghanaian football is “in a shambles,” according to Kudjoe Fianoo, Chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), who also criticized the current administration structures and called for extensive changes.
Midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu and a number of other former Black Stars players have also underlined the necessity of funding grassroots football and infrastructure development in order to revitalize the game.
The Black Stars’ Problems Are Bigger Than We Think
President John Dramani Mahama announced intentions for swift and extensive adjustments while acknowledging the Black Stars’ deteriorating performance. One of these is reorganizing the growth of sports at the grassroots level by creating a School Sports Authority to manage interschool contests and talent-spotting programs.
Additionally, the government pledged to build new sports facilities and renovate the nation’s stadiums in underserved regions to foster greater participation in sports at the grassroots level.
Ghanaian football is at a crossroads, facing challenges at both national and domestic levels. The combined efforts of the GFA, government, and key stakeholders aim to implement strategic reforms to restore the nation’s footballing prominence.
