Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku says the country lacks the structures needed to achieve sustained success in football, calling for greater investment in grassroots development, coach education, scouting and infrastructure.
Okraku made the remarks when a GFA delegation appeared before Parliament’s Select Committee on Youth and Sports, where he outlined what Ghana needs to build a competitive football system capable of delivering long-term success.
He said the association was responsible for providing logistics, creating an enabling environment, improving playing surfaces and stadium facilities, and recruiting competent technical staff. However, he stressed that these measures alone were not enough to guarantee sustained success.
“Our responsibility is to provide logistics, provide, like I said, enabling environment, which includes but not limited to good playing surfaces, stadium facilities, recruit good technical staff, and then just pray that Almighty God blesses all the big effort that we invest,” Okraku said.
“But if one has to be honest, Mr Chairman, there is a lot more that brings sustained success in football.”
He identified consistent investment in grassroots and Colts football, continuous coach education, international exposure for local coaches, effective scouting and quality playing facilities as essential pillars of football development.
Okraku, however, expressed concern that Ghana was falling short in these critical areas, arguing that the country did not have the necessary structures to support long-term progress.
“All this we don’t have in our country. All of what I have said does not exist in our country,” he added.
His comments come amid growing scrutiny of Ghanaian football, particularly following the Black Stars’ recent struggles in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
