Former captain of the senior national football team, Stephen Appiah, has urged the government to invest more in the country’s football sector, emphasizing that it is largely government-controlled.
Appiah made these remarks when he appeared before the parliamentary fact-finding committee investigating the current decline in Ghanaian football. He expressed concerns that many football fans have lost hope in Ghanaian football, which is negatively impacting the nation. He criticized the government’s focus on the senior national team (Black Stars) while neglecting the junior teams, including the U-17, U-20, U-23, and women’s teams.
“Ghana won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015, and the U-20 team also won a trophy in 2021. Since then, we’ve struggled to achieve any major success,” Appiah lamented.
He further criticized the practice of excluding players who helped during the qualifiers from the final tournament, which he believes affects team spirit. According to him, the lack of familiarity and cooperation among players has also contributed to poor performance.
Appiah believes that football in Ghana can improve if the government increases its financial commitment and develops more FIFA standard stadia.
The National Sports Authority’s Board Chairman, Hon. Seth Panwun Boyoyo, also addressed the committee and stressed the role of the Authority in promoting both amateur and professional sports in Ghana. Boyoyo referenced Ghana’s defeat to Angola in a match at Kumasi’s Baba Yara Sports Stadium as an unfortunate incident but assured the committee that measures are being taken to address the situation.
The committee, chaired by Hon. Kobena Mensah Woyome, MP for South Tongu, is tasked with investigating the decline in Ghanaian football following a petition submitted by the Fix Ghana Group earlier this year. Woyome encouraged participants to speak candidly, noting that their input is crucial for the committee’s mission.
The public hearings will continue on Monday September 30, 2024.