The Minority in Parliament is calling for a comprehensive reset of Ghana football after the Black Stars suffered back-to-back defeats in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches.
In a statement signed by the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah, the Minority said the team’s poor start reflects wider structural and administrative issues that require urgent attention.
The Black Stars have lost their opening two Group C matches, suffering a 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké before surrendering a two-goal lead to lose 4-2 to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Ghana are currently without a point in the group.
The Minority also pointed to Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 AFCON after completing the previous qualifying campaign without a win. According to the statement, the Black Stars have now gone eight consecutive AFCON qualifying matches without a victory, with their last win coming against the Central African Republic in September 2023.
The Minority said the current situation should not be attributed solely to head coach Carlos Queiroz, arguing that the challenges facing the national team existed before his appointment.
“Changing coaches without examining the structures within which successive technical teams operate risks repeating the same cycle,” the statement said.
The group is calling for a broader review of Ghana’s football administration, including the Ghana Football Association, the technical management of the national teams and the oversight role of the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.
It wants answers on issues including player selection, technical planning, scouting, national team preparations, expenditure, youth development and Ghana’s long-term football strategy.
Among its proposals is an independent technical and administrative audit of the Black Stars and the structures supporting the national teams.
The Minority is also calling for a review of the GFA’s governance and accountability framework, including decision-making processes, technical appointments and performance assessment.
It further wants a transparent review of player identification and selection, with emphasis on merit, current form, tactical requirements and commitment to the national team.
On financial management, the Minority is seeking greater transparency regarding expenditure on the Black Stars, alongside the development of a long-term national football plan.
It also called for increased investment in juvenile football, academies, school football and the domestic leagues as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s football development system.
The Minority said rebuilding public confidence in the national team should also form part of the process.
On the leadership of the GFA, the group said growing public concerns should be addressed, particularly in light of the Black Stars’ failure to win an AFCON qualifier since September 2023.
“The leadership of the GFA must account for its stewardship, the decisions taken during this period and the outcomes produced,” the statement said.
The Minority, however, stressed that any institutional changes must be carried out in accordance with Ghana’s laws and applicable FIFA and CAF requirements.
It concluded that addressing Ghana’s football challenges requires more than another change of coach, calling instead for accountability, effective administration, technical discipline and sustained investment from the grassroots level through to the senior national team.
