Former chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), Alhaji Ali Raji, has raised concerns over the declining quality of home-based players, which he believes has negatively impacted Ghana’s performance in youth competitions.
Ghana has struggled in recent years at the youth level, failing to qualify for the U-17 World Cup since 2017 and missing out on the last U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, despite winning the tournament in 2021.
The Black Galaxies, a squad made up of locally-based players, also failed to qualify for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) after losing to Nigeria in the playoffs.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ultimate Sports Show, Alhaji Raji did not hold back in his assessment of Ghanaian football.
“I am being honest with you; the quality is very low,” he stated.
“From the U-17, U-20, U-23, and CHAN teams, the quality is not up to standard. The coaches have also not demonstrated the ability to develop low-quality players into top-tier talents.”
He further criticized the current squads of two of Ghana’s biggest clubs, Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.
“The present Hearts of Oak players—some wouldn’t even make it into Auroras. The current Kumasi Asante Kotoko players wouldn’t be part of Anokye Stars,” he added.
Alhaji Raji called for urgent reforms in player development, emphasizing the need for better coaching and talent nurturing to restore Ghana’s dominance in youth football.