The Ministry of Sports and Recreation in Ghana has introduced seven key measures to address the challenges facing the country's football sector and restructure the management of its national teams. This move comes after a high-level meeting between the ministry and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) on October 2. The meeting was held as concerns grew over the state of the Black Stars, Ghana's national football team, following a poor start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign.
Ghana's Black Stars have had a disappointing start to the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign, suffering defeats in two Group C matches. The team lost 2-0 to Ivory Coast and then conceded a two-goal lead to lose 4-2 to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium. These results left the team without a point in the group. The poor performance led to the resignation of Carlos Queiroz as the head coach of the Black Stars.
One of the key measures adopted by the ministry is the dissolution of all existing national team committees and the entire Black Stars technical team, to be replaced with new structures. A new National Technical Management Committee will be established, comprising two government-appointed experts and two nominees from the GFA. The GFA will be required to consult this new committee before appointing the next Black Stars coach.
The existing national team management structure will be replaced by two separate committees, one responsible for men's football and the other overseeing women's football. Additionally, the ministry has called for the restoration of state-provided accommodation for the Black Stars head coach, aiming to reduce the financial burden associated with hotel accommodation.
The ministry also plans to consolidate Ghana's national youth team structure, with the government participating in the selection of development coaches for the Under-15, Under-17, and Under-20 teams. This move is expected to improve the development of young footballers in the country.
The seventh measure requires the ministry and the GFA to conclude and sign a FIFA-standard cooperation agreement, establishing joint decision-making between the two institutions. This agreement is expected to bring stability and clarity to the management of Ghana's national teams.
The Black Stars are set to return to action next month with a double-header in the AFCON qualifiers, both matches scheduled to take place at the Accra Sports Stadium. Ghana is seeking to revive its qualifying campaign and appoint a successor to Queiroz, with the goal of returning to the continental tournament after missing the 2025 edition. The 2027 AFCON finals will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Key points
- Ministry adopts 7 measures to address Ghana football crisis
- Black Stars face challenge in 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign
- New structures to be implemented for national team management
