Former Ghana football coach and legendary player, Malik Jabir has expressed concerns over the current state of football in Ghana.
He believes that the key to reviving the game is a focus on youth football development.
Jabir’s comments come amidst growing discontent within the Ghanaian football community, with many expressing dissatisfaction with the direction of the sport.
On February 14, 2024, hundreds of football enthusiasts took part in a protest dubbed ‘Save Ghana Football,’ calling for reforms to rejuvenate the sport.
The protesters delivered a 15-point petition to Ghana’s lawmakers, outlining suggested measures to uplift the state of football in the country.
Speaking on Akoma FM in an interview, Jabir highlighted the poor performance of Ghana’s national team, the Black Stars.
He underscored the need to rebuild and strengthen the under-17, under-20, and under-23 teams.
Jabir also pointed to the success of Senegal and Mali in nurturing young talents to ensure a smooth transition to their national teams.
He believes that, a similar approach could help establish a standardized and competitive Black Stars team.
“Ghana has faltered in defeating an African team on three consecutive occasions, yet people expect us to sing praises? That’s inaccurate,” he remarked to Akoma FM based in Kumasi.
“We must revert to youth football, reconstruct the U-17, U-20, and U-23 teams, and ensure a seamless transition for them, as Senegal and Mali have done. This approach will yield a consistent team for the Black Stars. We can’t deny that football is suffering when we couldn’t even secure a single victory in the AFCON in Cameroon and Ivory Coast,” he concluded.
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