Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams has cautioned Ghana’s football stakeholders against relying on hope to build a football system capable of competing with the best on the continent and beyond.
Adams made the remarks on Thursday at the Ghana Football Association’s 32nd Ordinary Congress at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram, where stakeholders gathered to deliberate on the development and future direction of Ghana football.
His comments come amid concerns over the standard and competitiveness of the Ghana Premier League, which has fallen to 100th in the world and 14th in Africa in the latest International Federation of Football History and Statistics ranking.
Adams said Ghana must move away from relying on goodwill and expectations and instead develop systems that can consistently produce results.
He pointed to Morocco and South Africa as examples of countries that have adopted more structured approaches to football development.
“Sometimes I don’t want to mention names, but it is important to mention names. We can be competing with systems that have been put in place like you have in Morocco, maybe you have in South Africa, and just hoping,” Adams said.
The Minister also challenged football administrators to ensure that policies and development plans approved by the GFA are properly implemented.
“We must make sure the documents you approve here are implemented, and we don’t have any other person to do so but us,” he added.
Adams said Ghana needs a deliberate system covering every stage of player development, from talent identification to the transition into senior football.
“The world has changed. Talent identification is deliberate. Coaching is deliberate. Sports science is deliberate. Competition exposure is deliberate. Player data is deliberate. Transition is deliberate. Everything is deliberate,” he said.
He warned that Ghana cannot expect to achieve the same results as countries with established football systems if it continues to rely on hope.
“We cannot compete with deliberate systems through hope. No. We cannot hope to achieve what others have done,” Adams stated.
The Minister’s comments form part of a wider call for a deliberate rebuilding of Ghana football, with greater focus on player development, coaching, sports science, data, competition structures and the transition of young talents into the professional game.
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