The Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) and Ghana Football Association (GFA) have agreed to work together to end Ghana’s 24-year absence from Olympic football.
The two organisations will develop a structured roadmap to guide the Black Queens and Black Meteors through their respective qualification campaigns for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Ghana last featured in Olympic football at the 2004 Athens Games, and GOC President Richard Akpokavie says the committee is determined to secure a return.
“The last time football was at the Olympics was in the 2004 Athens Games; therefore, we had to meet to see possible collaboration for our mutual benefit,” Akpokavie said.
He commended the GFA for outlining the qualification timelines and assured the association of the GOC’s support throughout the process.
The commitment followed a high-level strategic meeting between the GOC leadership, the management of the Black Queens and the technical leadership of the Black Meteors to assess the qualification pathways and identify areas for collaboration.
GFA General Secretary Prosper Harrison Addo, who led the GFA delegation, said closer coordination between the two organisations will be crucial to Ghana’s Olympic ambitions.
He noted that the GOC has the mandate for Ghana’s participation in the Olympic Games, making collaboration with the GFA essential to achieving their shared objective.
The Black Queens will begin their Olympic qualification campaign in June 2026, with the process running through December 2027 across five rounds.
The Black Meteors will start their campaign between November 2026 and March 2027, with qualification for the 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt their immediate target.
The U-23 AFCON will determine Africa’s two qualifiers for the men’s Olympic football tournament, with the finalists securing the continent’s two places in Los Angeles. Africa will also have two places in the women’s tournament.
Team Ghana Chef de Mission for LA2028, Rev. Richmond Quarcoo, also pledged his office’s support and called for close coordination between the GOC, GFA and the national teams.
The two bodies will now work on a structured blueprint aimed at securing Olympic qualification for both the Black Queens and Black Meteors and ending Ghana’s long absence from Olympic football.
