According to Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku, his administration has largely fulfilled its promise of improving the football ecosystem in Ghana. However, he acknowledges that there is still more work to be done.
Since being elected in late 2019, Okraku has served as the president of the Ghana Football Association for three years. He believes that they have surpassed the commitments outlined in their manifesto.
“When it comes to ticking the boxes on the provisions of the manifesto, we have achieved,” Okraku stated in an interview with SuperSport’s Juliet Bawuah. “We have gone beyond the manifesto, and some of the things we have delivered to our football community have been special and remarkable. However, this doesn’t mean that our work is complete. There is still a lot more to be done for our game.”
Okraku expresses his aspiration for Ghanaian football to reach the same level of quality and entertainment as the European market. He believes that by addressing the underlying issues and challenges, the Ghanaian clubs will become stronger, more appealing, and better equipped to hire the right personnel. This, in turn, will improve the industry and attract more TV stations and resources to support Ghanaian football.
“I belong to that school of thought that for those footballing products we enjoy on TV from the European market, we should be in a position to deliver same for our people in our country and that is what inspires me a lot. Even though we have done well, I still believe there is more work to be done.
While acknowledging that it is a challenging task, Okraku remains optimistic and draws inspiration from the gradual process of development. He emphasizes the need to fix fundamental problems in order to create a sustainable and prosperous football industry in Ghana. With continued efforts, he believes that Ghanaian football can reach its “promised land” and provide quality football experiences for the fans in the country.
“I know it’s a herculean task but Rome was not built in a day. As we fix the fundamental problems, our clubs will stand on their feet, our clubs will be more attractive, they will have more resources and hire the right people and our industry will improve and hopefully, by that time, we will have a lot more TV stations who are interested in the product and that will bring in more resources and surely, our industry will get to the promised land,” he added.
