On Wednesday, in Ghana’s capital, Accra, a multitude of soccer enthusiasts gathered on the streets, advocating for improved football governance following their team’s failure to advance beyond the group stage in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations. Wearing black and red T-shirts with the inscription “Save Ghana football” and displaying placards, the demonstrators, expressing their discontent over the Black Stars’ subpar performances in recent major tournaments, marched through the main thorough fares. A group of senior sports journalists organized the demonstration, reports Pulse Ghana.
‘It is an outrage that we have gone this far and failed to see change at the top,’ said one of the organizers, Nana Kwame Ansah. “Football is a national sport, and it’s a time for the citizens to take the lead and push for reforms in managing our national teams.”
The protesters want the Ghana Football Association and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to implement reforms to make Ghana’s national team competitive again. They also want the Black Queens, a women’s national team that has been a rare bright spot for the nation, to be paid bonuses that they have not been able to receive since last year.
They also want Ghana to stop relying on oil exports as a source of revenue and shift toward a more sustainable economy. They also called on the government to address the country’s frequent power cuts, lasting up to 48 hours. During the AFCON 2023 games, power was cut off to stadiums twice in the tournament’s first two days, causing chaos for players and fans trying to watch the matches.
The organizers say they will present a petition to the GFA, the sports minister, and Parliament that lists their demands. They also plan to debate publicly with representatives from the sports ministry, Parliament, and the president’s office.
Ghana’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, acknowledged the disappointment among Ghanaians after the national team’s performance at AFCON. He promised to instigate measures that would lead to a national dialogue between all stakeholders to find modern and inclusive ways to manage the national teams.
Despite their failings on the pitch, many protesters were still proud of Ghana’s rich sporting history. The nation was the first African country to win the Africa Cup of Nations on four occasions and has qualified for four World Cups, and reached the quarter-finals in 2010. Its illustrious players include Charles Kumi Gyamfi, Abedi Pele, and Samuel Kuffour.
The Ghana team was one of the favorites to advance from the group stage at AFCON 2023 but lost all three games in Cote d’Ivoire. The team’s coach, Chris Hughton, was sacked after the final match in Group B, and the squad has been left to regroup for the next tournament, which will be held in Morocco in 2025.
VICE’s Rosalind Amoh was in Accra covering the AFCON tournament and joined the protesters in their march to the sports ministry.
