Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku says there are underlying reasons behind the Black Stars’ 44-year wait for another Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, but insists some of the issues cannot be discussed publicly.
Ghana last won the continental competition in 1982 and have since come close to ending their long wait, reaching the final in 1992, 2010 and 2015 without lifting the trophy.
Despite having several generations of talented players, the four-time African champions have struggled to recapture their former glory.
The Black Stars suffered successive group-stage exits at the 2021 and 2023 editions before missing out on qualification for the 2025 tournament in Morocco after finishing bottom of their qualifying group.
Speaking during an appearance before Parliament’s Select Committee on Sports on Wednesday, Okraku acknowledged Ghana’s prolonged failure to win the competition, despite the quality of players available over the years.
“The Black Stars in 44 years have not won the AFCON. This is a statement of fact. In 44 years, we’ve had different generations of super talents, and in 44 years, we’ve been to the grand finale on three occasions,” Okraku said.
However, the GFA president suggested that there were deeper issues behind the country’s failure to reclaim the continental crown, some of which he was reluctant to discuss in an open parliamentary setting.
“There are certain reasons that I will not want to talk about here because I see cameras and whatever we say here is public. Sometimes certain truths said at a wrong time could be very damaging,” he added.
Okraku, however, expressed his willingness to engage the committee in a more private discussion if members were determined to establish the reasons behind Ghana’s prolonged AFCON drought.
“If this committee is very interested in going to the bottom to find perhaps that singular reason why Ghana in 44 years has not won an AFCON trophy, we can have that discussion without cameras,” he said.
The GFA president also used the opportunity to clarify the association’s relationship with the government, defending its independent status.
He stressed that the GFA is a private entity which collaborates with the government on football development but is not a government institution.
Meanwhile, the Black Stars face a difficult task in their bid to qualify for the 2027 AFCON after losing their opening two matches in Group C.
Ghana will regroup later this month for a double-header against Somalia, with the two matches offering an opportunity to revive their qualification hopes and avoid missing out on a second successive tournament.
Source: GhanaSoccerNet
