Former General Manager of Nsoatreman FC, Eric Alagidede, has made a passionate appeal for a complete overhaul of Ghana’s youth football structure, emphasizing that the primary goal of youth competitions should be development, not winning at all costs.
His comments come in the wake of Ghana’s U-20 National Team, the Black Satellites, failing to qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, after a disappointing quarterfinal exit at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations against Egypt.
Speaking in an interview with Channel One Sports, Alagidede lamented the lack of a clear development roadmap, blaming recurring mistakes and a reactionary mindset for the stagnation in Ghanaian football.
“We keep repeating the same mistakes. When something works once, we rush to repeat it without addressing the core issues. There’s no real plan for youth football. I haven’t seen a proper, long-term strategy to develop and transition players through the ranks” Alagidede said.
According to Alagidede, the current approach to youth football is unsustainable and shortsighted. He called for a deliberate policy that emphasizes smooth player transitions from the U-15 level all the way to the senior Black Stars team.
“If we want to build a strong national team in the next 10 years, we need a deliberate youth policy. That means starting at U-15, making sure at least five or six of those players move together into U-17, then into U-20. That’s how you create chemistry and identity.”
He criticized the tendency to disband youth teams after tournament failures, arguing that this kills momentum and wastes developmental investment.
“Once a team fails to qualify, we throw our hands in the air and scatter the entire group. That’s not how to build youth football. Some players may not shine at U-15 or U-17, but by U-20, they find their rhythm—and that’s when it matters most.
Alagidede insisted that while winning is important, it should not overshadow the true purpose of youth tournaments: nurturing talent and preparing players for the elite level.
The essence of youth competitions is not to win, t’s to fine-tune talent, build continuity, and prepare players for the bigger stage. Until we understand this, we’ll keep chasing short-term results and missing the long-term goal.
