Herbert Mensah, President of World Rugby’s African Association and former Kumasi Asante Kotoko Board Chairman, has lamented Ghana’s declining status as a powerhouse in sports.
His remarks follow the Black Stars’ failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, marking the first time in 20 years that Ghana will miss the continental tournament.
Speaking in an interview with Elton Brobbey, Mensah expressed deep concern over the country’s poor performance across various sporting disciplines, including the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. He criticized the excessive focus on football and the mismanagement of resources, which he believes has contributed to Ghana’s dwindling sporting fortunes.
“We have to look inwardly at ourselves. A great sporting nation like Ghana is no longer a great sporting nation,” Mensah said. “You go to the Olympics—we wasted taxpayers’ money. You go to the Commonwealth Games—we’ve wasted taxpayers’ money. Then you look at the Nations Cup [AFCON], and the amount of money spent, singularly on football, the political sport, is not acceptable.”
Ghana’s absence from the 2024 Paris Olympics medal tally and its failures in recent Commonwealth Games competitions underscore the broader challenges facing the country’s sports sector. Mensah’s remarks highlight a growing call for introspection and a reassessment of priorities to revive Ghana’s reputation as a leading sporting nation.
