Sports Ministry orders Black Stars shake-up in seven-point reform plan

The fallout from Ghana's poor start to Africa Cup of Nations qualifying has gone well beyond the departure of Carlos Queiroz. The Ministry of Sports and Recreation has directed the Ghana Football Association to dissolve the Black Stars technical team as part of a seven-point package of reforms, according to Adomonline.

The measures were agreed at a high-level meeting between the Ministry and the GFA on Friday, October 2, the same meeting that produced the five-member committee now searching for the next Black Stars coach.

The seven measures

As reported by Adomonline, the directives are:

• Dissolution of current structures: the Black Stars technical team and all existing national team management committees are to be dissolved.
• A new oversight body: a National Technical Management Committee will be set up, made up of two experts appointed by the government and two nominees from the GFA.
• Consultation on the coach: the GFA must not appoint the next Black Stars coach without consulting the new committee.
• Separate men's and women's committees: the existing management structure will be replaced by one committee for men's football and another for women's football.
• Accommodation for the coach: state-provided accommodation for the Black Stars head coach is to be restored.
• Youth teams: the national youth structure is to be consolidated, with the government expected to take part in selecting development coaches for the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-20 sides.
• A formal agreement: the Ministry and the GFA are to conclude and sign a FIFA-standard cooperation agreement establishing joint decision-making between the two institutions.

A coach based in Ghana

The reforms fit with what other outlets have reported from the meeting. Graphic Online and 3News say the GFA and the Ministry agreed that the next head coach will be required to live in Ghana and regularly monitor the domestic league, and 3News reports that a Public Interest Committee will supervise the implementation of the reforms.

Why now?

The changes follow a damaging fortnight for the national team. The Black Stars lost 2-0 to Ivory Coast in Bouaké and then threw away a two-goal lead to lose 4-2 to The Gambia in Accra, leaving them without a point in Group C. Queiroz left by mutual agreement two days after the Gambia defeat.

Ghana also missed the last Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, and there are fears of a second successive absence from the continent's biggest tournament. The 2027 finals will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Debate over the GFA leadership

The crisis has also put the GFA leadership under scrutiny, with some figures calling for president Kurt Okraku to step down. Others have come to his defence. Adomonline reports that the general manager of Aduana FC has argued that Okraku should not be judged solely on the performance of the Black Stars.

What comes next

The search committee, chaired by Fred Pappoe, is due to submit its recommendations by Friday, October 9. Under the new directives, the GFA will also need to consult the National Technical Management Committee before making an appointment.

Whoever takes charge will have little time to settle in. Ghana's next qualifiers are a November double-header against Somalia, with both matches expected to be played at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Photo: Jeanpierrekepseu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0