Ghana’s football legend and former Black Stars coach, Charles Kwablan Akonnor, has issued a rallying call for the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to reset the nation’s footballing structures. His appeal comes on the heels of Ghana’s shocking failure to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the first time in two decades—a sobering moment for a footballing powerhouse.

Speaking on Joy FM, Akonnor, who coached the national team from 2019 to 2021, lamented the declining fortunes of Ghanaian football and attributed the crisis to the erosion of a coherent development system. Drawing from the successes of the past, Akonnor urged stakeholders to prioritize grassroots football and youth development programs.

“We need to have a plan that goes beyond profitability,” Akonnor stressed. “We have to look at our Under-17, Under-20, the local Black Stars (Black Stars B), and the senior national team. If we don’t strategize now, we will keep lamenting the decline of Ghana football.”

Recalling Ghana’s golden era of players like Asamoah Gyan, Stephen Appiah, and Laryea Kingston, Akonnor highlighted how their success stemmed from years of progression and familiarity within youth systems. He shared an example: “Laryea Kingston and Godwin Attram knew each other and had been playing together since they were ten years old. There was progression and cohesion. When the country needed them, they delivered.”

As the Black Stars prepare to face Niger in a meaningless final AFCON qualifier in Accra, Akonnor’s plea resonates as a wake-up call to rejuvenate a once-formidable footballing nation.