Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has urged the government to intervene and safeguard Ghana’s declining football industry, citing the team’s recent string of embarrassing performances, particularly their humiliation by Ivory Coast at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Addressing Parliament, Annoh-Dompreh emphasized the need for humility in acknowledging the issues plaguing the senior national team, the Black Stars.
He stated, “All of us must be humble enough and accept that there is something wrong with the handling of our senior national team, the Black Stars; there is something definitely wrong with them.”
He further advocated for specific reforms, even if it meant potentially attracting FIFA sanctions.
“I agree that there should be some reforms, but we must be specific on what we want to do even if we have to interfere and attract the sanction of FIFA. If we have to do it to safeguard the sport, we have to do it,” he asserted.
Ghana’s disappointing performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations saw them miss out on advancing to the Round of 16, as they finished third in a group comprising Cape Verde, Egypt, and Mozambique.
The Black Stars suffered a 2-1 defeat to Cape Verde and managed back-to-back 2-2 draws against Egypt and Mozambique, leading to their elimination from the tournament.
This marks the second consecutive AFCON where Ghana exited at the group stages without securing a victory, extending the country’s quest for its fifth AFCON title to 42 years.