GFA President Kurt Okraku vows to restore Black Stars’ glory after AFCON qualifying failure

Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has pledged to take decisive action to address the issues plaguing the Black Stars following their disappointing 2-1 loss to Niger on Monday, which ended their hopes of qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

The defeat, which capped off a lacklustre campaign, left Ghana with just three points from six matches.

The Black Stars were unable to secure a single victory, finishing bottom of Group F and failing to advance to the tournament.

Okraku expressed his deep disappointment with the team’s performance, acknowledging the stark contrast between Ghana’s recent struggles and their previous high point in March 2022.

From the highest heights of world football on the 29th of March 2022 to the lowest ebb of AFCON qualifying matches.

My heart bleeds. Definitely, this is not what we want or what we bargained for,” Okraku said, reflecting on the team’s recent decline.

At this point, only cool heads can win, and we as leaders of our sport, will stay together, be honest with ourselves, and fix this problem.

Despite the crushing setback, Okraku remains optimistic about the Black Stars’ future.

He assured Ghanaians that the GFA is committed to the long-term revitalisation of the national team.

The road to full recovery after normalization is definitely bumpy and rough, but our collective efforts and patience will win, and Ghana, our beloved country, will win,” he declared.

As a Black Stars fan and as the leader, I share in your pain and in our pain. We will rise from this temporary setback, it shall be well.

The GFA has already planned a meeting of its Executive Council, scheduled for Wednesday, to discuss the future direction of Ghanaian football and to formulate the next steps for the Black Stars.

The goal, according to Okraku, is to identify the causes of the team’s poor showing in the qualifiers and implement a robust strategy to restore the team’s competitiveness on the continental stage.

The GFA President’s comments come as Ghana looks to rebuild and recover from a campaign that was marked by frustration and underperformance.

With a focus on long-term solutions and unity, Okraku’s vow to guide the Black Stars back to prominence signals a commitment to overcoming the current challenges and restoring the team to its former glory.