Former Ghana football legend and the 1971 African Footballer of the Year, Ibrahim Sunday believes that the Black Stars’ recent underperformance is rooted in a lack of strategic planning.
The senior national team has faced significant challenges in major tournaments over the past few years.
Under Milovan Rajevac’s leadership, Ghana was eliminated in the group stage of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.
In the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, interim coach, Otto Addo led the team to another group stage exit, and the 2023 AFCON tournament in Ivory Coast saw the Black Stars suffering a third consecutive group phase elimination, this time under Chris Hughton.
Adding to the team’s woes, Ghana failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON, set to be hosted in Morocco.
Under Otto Addo’s guidance, the Black Stars finished last in Group F with just three points from six matches in the recent qualifiers.
In an interview with Asempa FM’s Sports Nite, Sunday criticized Ghana’s approach to team management, emphasizing the failure to develop quality players during periods of success.
“When the team was performing well, we did not look for quality players to replace. We did not prepare for our future, and that is why we are struggling now,” he explained.
Sunday expressed frustration with the nation’s apparent apathy toward the issue, saying, “As a nation, we act as if we do not care,” Sunday observed. “But we need to take action and solve the problem.”
The Black Stars will aim for a stronger showing when they face Chad and Madagascar in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers scheduled for March 2025.
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