The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has noted that the dismissal of coaches from the senior national football team, the Black Stars, is not a cure-all solution for addressing the team’s recent lacklustre performances.
Following the Black Stars’ third-place finish in Group B at the ongoing 2023 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, where they failed to secure a victory, including a loss to Cape Verde and draws with Egypt and Mozambique, head coach Chris Hughton was terminated, and the entire technical team was disbanded.
In a formal address to Parliament at the start of the first meeting of the fourth session, Mr Bagbin emphasized the need for a comprehensive strategy to tackle the challenges facing Ghana’s football.
“The Black Stars and their handlers must know that they represent more than just a football team. 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. It is high time we huddled together to discuss the current state of Ghana’s football and consider a comprehensive strategy for the future.
“The sacking of coaches is not the panacea for the challenges, we must evaluate the football infrastructure, youth development programmes, coaching standards and administrative structures to identify areas for improvements,” he stated.