Former President John Dramani Mahama has put forward a strategy to rejuvenate Ghanaian football in the aftermath of the Black Stars’ disappointing performance at AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast. The team’s lackluster showing led to the removal of coach Chris Hughton and the disbandment of the technical team.
As the NDC flagbearer for the upcoming 2024 General Elections, Mahama aims to collaborate with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to establish a resilient national team. Emphasizing the significance of nurturing local talent, he stated, “We performed abysmally because we are not growing our football.”
Mahama advocates for initiating the development of young players, providing training, and allowing them to gain experience with local teams before venturing abroad. His vision revolves around creating a well-rounded team, blending homegrown talents with foreign-based players. He underscores the importance of a core group of domestic players who have undergone extensive training together.
Explaining his approach, Mahama emphasizes, “Domestic players who have trained together for a long time and work as a team, and then we will bring the foreign players to come and blend with them.” He cautions against relying solely on foreign players, noting that without a shared playing experience, assembling them for competitions becomes challenging.
To realize this vision, Mahama intends to collaborate with the GFA to overhaul Ghana’s football landscape, stressing the need for a unified effort from all stakeholders in building a robust national team.
