Veteran Ghanaian coach, J.E. Sarpong, has expressed his frustration with the technical team of the Senior National Team, the Black Stars, over their poor performance in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
He accused the team’s administrators of mishandling the management of the Black Stars, which he said is breaking the hearts of Ghanaians.
Speaking on Big Agenda on Adom TV after the Black Stars’ 2:1 loss to Niger in their final Group F game on Monday, Coach Sarpong did not hold back.
The Black Stars failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, securing just three points from their six matches in Group F, which included Angola, Sudan, and Niger.
“Black Stars is the only thing that brings us together. They are toying with our hearts. The team is our heartbeat, even if it seems the heartbeat is suffering from convulsions,” he said.
Coach Sarpong attributed the team’s struggles partly to the Ghana Football Association’s failure to hire a top-class coach. He believes the lack of consistency in player selection and problematic call-ups are also major contributors to their underperformance.
“This is the National Team. You need to spend big money to get a good coach. But if you decide to spend less, you get a cheap option, and that is what the team is facing,” he stated.
When asked by host Clemente Javier about other possible reasons for the team’s dismal performance, Coach Sarpong mentioned internal wrangling within the team. He claimed that this issue, although largely unaddressed, is negatively affecting the team and dampening the players’ morale.
“With this performance, I even hope we do not qualify for the World Cup,” he lamented.
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