Dreams FC head coach, Karim Zito, has attributed the Black Stars’ recent poor performances to Ghana’s flawed football development system.
Ghana’s senior national team has faced a series of disappointing results, including consecutive Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) group-stage exits in Cameroon and Ivory Coast.
Their struggles continued as they failed to qualify for the 35th AFCON in Morocco, finishing at the bottom of their group with just three points from six matches.
In an interview with Graphic Sports, the 64-year-old coach emphasized the need for a structured football model similar to those used by European football powerhouses. He believes that the lack of a clear progression system for players from youth teams to the senior squad is a key issue.
“What is troubling the Black Stars? Why are we always searching for new players?” Zito questioned. “It’s because our junior teams are not producing top talent consistently, and that’s down to poor development structures.”
He also criticized the media for focusing too much on instant results, rather than supporting long-term growth.
“The media also plays a role—they keep attacking coaches instead of supporting long-term growth,” Zito said. “We focus too much on instant results, but you can’t achieve success without first laying strong foundations.”
Zito highlighted Ghana’s golden generation, led by Coach Sellas Tetteh, whose Black Satellites team won the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Many of those players, including Andre Ayew, Samuel Inkoom, and Jonathan Mensah, went on to form the core of the Black Stars squad that finished as AFCON runners-up in 2010 and played at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Reflecting on this, Zito raised a crucial question: “How many of our senior players today actually came through the junior ranks?”
He called on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to implement a structured succession plan to ensure a steady pipeline of talent, enabling Ghana to reclaim its place among Africa’s football elite.