The Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) is the most important football tournament in Africa. He has competed for the men’s national teams of the continent’s countries since 1957. Egypt is the the most successful country in the history of the tournament, with seven wins, the most recent in 2010. Previously, Ghana was the dominant force with four wins. Despite producing world-class players, the country has not won the tournament in four decades.
As the 2023 edition gets under way in Ivory Coast, The Conversation Africa’s Godfred Akoto Boafo talks to sports scientist Ernest Yeboah Acheampong about what went wrong for Ghana.
Ghana produces players who feature in top leagues. What is his Afcon record?
Ghana has a strong attachment to football. Its first president, Kwame Nkrumah, used sport as part of his strategy to promote national unity. He pushed the sport as a preferred option for Ghanaian youth and beyond set up a team who competed in the local league. This set the platform for a country that has consistently produced footballers of continental repute who have contributed to the success of their teams. They include Abedi Pele (UEFA Champions League winner with Olympique Marseille), Samuel Kufour (Bayern Munich), Salley Mudari (Inter Milan), Michael Essien (Chelsea FC) and Asamoah Gyan.
The conveyor belt of quality players that Ghana has produced has led the country to dominate the Afcon tournament. The won titles in 1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982. But despite having several high-quality players in their national team, Ghana’s best performance in recent tournaments has been a final appearance in 2015.
What is the problem?
Issues include poor preparation, poor levels of player commitment, unhealthy team politics and pay disputes. There has also been a decline in the quality of the local league as Ghanaian clubs have struggled to attract fans to their games and compete amongst their continental peers. Then there is interference from the political elite, as the government often seeks to use sport to achieve and enhance its public standing.
Ghana’s youth football system prioritized the progression of talent at different age groups. This no longer exists. Competing countries such as Senegal, Morocco and Algeria have built on their recent success in good practice like this. There is also difficulty in obtaining qualified and experienced coaches or trainers who understand growth and development in identifying and developing talent. The inability of the country’s football association to maintain an effective database of talented players means that some of the most talented players go unnoticed.
Finally, there is the long-standing perception that some players are selected based on their ability to send money or their personal relationships with influential members of the football association and sometimes the technical team.
What should change?
Ghana can improve its chances of winning the Afcon when key stakeholders are able to remove obstacles, waste and undesirable practices that hinder the progress of the national team. There should be a proper grassroots structure for all national teams to guarantee the smooth development of talent. This supports the development of football talent through the ranks as suggested by The FIFA pyramid (folk for the establishment, youth before the elite).
The authorities should not appoint leaders who do not have the necessary knowledge of football and administrative practices. Investing in football infrastructure and developing the capacity of coaches is crucial to developing and improving the chances of winning. Senegal, Morocco and Algeria have all used this pathway. This investment should cover domestic leagues and base structure and systems.
The selection of players must follow specific criteria that give priority to the talents that appear regularly at their clubs. These approaches, inspired by practices in countries where sports scientists and managers play pivotal roles, can improve Ghana’s chances of ending its 40-year drought. It is also high time that technocrats are given an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the activities of the football association in various capacities based on their scientific knowledge and experience.
There is a need to develop a robust database of Ghanaian players both abroad and domestically to ensure effective supervision and monitoring of their performance in their respective leagues. It is important that coaches and trainers should be more interested in modern training and talent management methods as the sport has become more scientific.