Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku has urged greater focus on Ghana’s opening match against Panama, amid concerns that attention within the national setup is drifting toward a potential high-profile encounter with England.
Kurt Okraku, in remarks attributed to him, expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as excessive excitement over a possible England fixture, insisting that the team’s immediate priority should be the first game of the tournament.
He questioned why discussions appear to be centred on England instead of concentrating on proper preparation for Panama, which he described as the most important and immediate challenge facing the team.
According to him, the management, technical team, and playing body should be directing their full energy, commitment, and concentration toward the opening match rather than looking ahead to more glamorous opposition.
In his words, he stated: “I don’t know why Ghana is so obsessed with the England tie; meanwhile our first fixture is against Panama; instead of the management, technical staff and playing body to channel their zeal, commitment, energies and full concentration on the first match; they are fantasizing on a game against their former colonial masters; typical sub Saharan Africa mentality!!!”
The comments have since drawn attention as debate continues over Ghana’s preparation approach ahead of major international competitions, with calls for greater discipline, focus, and step-by-step match planning.
