Sacking coaches alone won’t solve Black Stars’ problems, Alban Bagbin says
Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has expressed his concerns about the recent performance of the Black Stars, following their early elimination from the AFCON 2023 tournament.
The team’s underwhelming performance in Ivory Coast has prompted calls for reform within the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and its leadership.
“The Black Stars and their handlers must know that they represent more than just a football team,” Bagbin said in a statement.
“They are a symbol of our national pride, cohesion, and resilience.”
“They must therefore endeavour to rise from the ashes of these setbacks and demonstrate to the world the true power of Ghana’s football,” Bagbin added.
“It is high time we huddled together to discuss the current state of Ghana’s football and consider a comprehensive strategy for the future.”
To achieve this, Bagbin believes that sacking coaches alone is not enough after Chris Hughton was axed and the technical team dissolved.
He said, “Sacking of coaches is not the panacea of the challenges we must evaluate our football infrastructure, youth development programs, coaching standards, and administrative structures to identify areas for improvement.”
“Our national teams should represent the breadth and diversity of Ghana’s football talent.”
“Ghanaians must invest in a holistic and sustainable development of sports and culture.”
Parliament is eager to collaborate with other stakeholders to find solutions to the challenges facing Ghanaian football.
In light of this, the GFA is set to hold a media interaction in Kumasi, where they will likely face questions about their leadership and the way forward for the Black Stars.
Meanwhile, the search for a new head coach continues, with reports suggesting that over 600 applicants have applied.
