The Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has stated that the government does not have the authority to dissolve the Ghana Football Association (GFA), despite growing calls for the country’s football governing body to be disbanded following the Black Stars’ disappointing start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Pressure has mounted on the GFA and its leadership after Ghana suffered a 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast before losing 4-2 to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium, despite taking a two-goal lead in the match.
The results have left the Black Stars without a point after their opening two Group C matches, raising concerns among football supporters and some political figures about the administration and direction of Ghanaian football.
However, Mr Adams has explained that the GFA is a legally registered entity and cannot simply be dissolved by the government without a lawful basis.
“You know what the Ghana Football Association is, and you know that when a private company is registered to exist in perpetuity, you cannot go and dissolve it if it has not committed any crime against the administrative right,” the Buem MP told Joy FM.
“It is an association, and I don’t think government has the power.”
The minister acknowledged that the government has a legitimate interest in football administration because the national teams supervised by the GFA represent Ghana and receive state support.
He explained that the relationship between the government and the football association allows for cooperation, particularly because public funds are used to support national football activities.
“Government has the power to do certain things because the national teams that the GFA supervises belong to the government,” he said.
“FIFA, in its statutes, has the Standard Corporate Agreement, so it creates space for the government, which spends money, to have a certain relationship with the GFA.”
Mr Adams further indicated that the government’s immediate focus was to ensure that the established mechanisms for accountability and public oversight within football administration function effectively.
“We want to ensure that the public interest committee works, but government cannot dissolve the GFA because it is a registered entity that pays taxes to the appropriate authorities,” he added.
He, however, noted that the situation could be different if officials of the association were found to have engaged in criminal activities in the course of their duties.
“If, however, they use their office to commit any crime and it is proven, then the necessary rules will apply,” Mr Adams said.
The minister’s comments come amid increasing public scrutiny of the Ghana Football Association, with sections of the public and political class demanding significant changes following the Black Stars’ poor performances in the ongoing AFCON qualifying campaign.
The government is expected to engage the GFA leadership in a crisis meeting on Friday, October 2, 2026, to discuss the national team’s disappointing start to the qualifiers and seek answers concerning the state of Ghanaian football.
The meeting is expected to provide an opportunity for discussions on the challenges facing the Black Stars and possible measures to address the team’s recent setbacks.
Ghana’s difficulties in the qualifying campaign have become particularly concerning because the country is seeking to return to the Africa Cup of Nations after missing the 2025 tournament in Morocco, ending a run of more than two decades of consecutive appearances at the continental competition.
The Black Stars are scheduled to resume their qualifying campaign in October with a double-header against Somalia, with both matches set to take place at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The upcoming fixtures will be important for Ghana as the team seeks to recover from its opening defeats and improve its position in Group C.
Meanwhile, the debate over the future of the GFA’s leadership and the government’s role in football administration is expected to continue as supporters demand accountability and improved results from the national team.
Mr Adams’ position, however, is that the government cannot dissolve the association simply because of poor sporting performances, while lawful accountability mechanisms remain available to address any proven wrongdoing.
