Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia South Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah has questioned the Ghana Football Association’s approach to rebuilding the Black Stars, arguing that the team lacks a clear medium-to-long-term plan following the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
His comments have drawn a sharp response from GFA President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, who challenged the MP’s understanding of the issues confronting Ghanaian football and advised him to concentrate on matters within his constituency.
The exchange comes as the Black Stars prepare to begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign amid a series of withdrawals that have forced head coach Carlos Queiroz to make several additions to his squad.
Queiroz initially announced a 24-man squad for the qualifiers against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, as well as an international friendly against Morocco, with the squad featuring several players from Ghana’s 2026 World Cup campaign.
MP Questions Black Stars’ Long-Term Direction
Speaking about the state of the national team, the MP expressed surprise at the manner in which the GFA is currently managing the Black Stars. “I’m very surprised at the way the GFA is handling our football,” he said. “We are not a team with a future at all. Firstly, before you went to the World Cup, you had failed to qualify for the African Cup.”
According to the MP, Ghana’s return from the World Cup should have been followed by a clearly defined rebuilding programme rather than an immediate focus on assembling players for the next round of qualifiers. “You come from the World Cup, there is no plan to develop the team for the medium to long term,” Awuah said. “You are quickly putting together players to come and then play for the qualifiers.”
He also questioned the circumstances surrounding the late inclusion of Jonas Adjetey and Brandon Thomas-Asante in the squad.
“Adjetey, you didn’t call him. When other players withdrew, then you called him. Brandon Thomas Asante, you didn’t call him. When other players withdrew, you called him.”
Nana Aggei Baffour Awuah
The GFA subsequently added Adjetey and Thomas-Asante, alongside seven other players, after medical uncertainties involving members of the original squad.
Awuah further argued that Thomas-Asante deserved greater consideration, citing his assessment of the forward’s contribution at the World Cup.
“In fact, the best performance we saw in this World Cup was Brandon Thomas Asante. Fantastic forward,” he said.
Hon. Baffour Awuah went on to say that the “government should intervene and change the constitution of the Ghana Football Association.”
Awuah Calls for a Clear Succession Plan
The Manhyia South MP extended his criticism beyond the current squad selection, arguing that Ghana’s previous successes were built around deliberate player development and progression through the national teams. “Look, if you look at how well we have done in the past or how we did well in the past, there was a plan,” he said.
Awuah pointed to the generation of players that emerged from Ghana’s successful youth teams and eventually formed the core of the senior national team.
He specifically referenced the generation associated with Ghana’s appearances at the FIFA World Youth Championships, including players such as Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien.
“If you look at how Ben Kofi did it, it was the team that played at the 1999 or 2001 World Youth Championship. The Sulley Muntari group, the Essien group, that progressed to that level.”
Hon. Nana Aggei Baffour Awuah, MP for Manhyia South
He argued that Ghana has struggled to replicate that pathway in recent years.
“Following that, we have not been doing well at the junior level. We are not doing well with under-17s. We are not doing well with under-21s. We are not doing well at under-23s,” Awuah added.
His comments come at a time when the GFA has been forced to revise the Black Stars squad because of a growing list of player withdrawals and medical concerns.
The changes have included the additions of Adjetey, Thomas-Asante, Ebenezer Annan, Rockson Yeboah, Rahim Ibrahim, Mohammed Fuseini, Benjamin Tetteh and Felix Afena-Gyan.
The likes of Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, captain Jordan Ayew, Abdul Baba Rahman, Jan Gyamerah and Alidu Seidu have all pulled out of the squad due to various degrees of injuries and match fitness issues.
Okraku Hits Back at MP
GFA President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku responded directly to the MP, questioning whether the MP had sufficient information about the circumstances behind the squad decisions. “You don’t know what is happening in football,” the GFA president responded to Hon. Agyei Baffour Awuah.
He suggested that the MP could have contacted the association for clarification before publicly questioning its decisions. “He could have called to find out what is happening and we’d provide him with the answers he needs,” Okraku said.
The GFA president also redirected the MP’s attention to issues he said affect football development at the constituency and grassroots level.
“He should focus on his constituency because there are things that might not be going well, things like bad astro turfs, youth unemployment. People including colt clubs have to pay huge sums to get access to pitches to play football. That’s what he should focus on.”
GFA President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku
Black Stars Set Sights on La Cotê d’Ivoire Clash
The exchange comes as Ghana prepares for a demanding start to the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.
The Black Stars will travel to Bouaké to on Wednesday and face Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday, September 24 at 7pm, before hosting The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, September 29.
The disagreement between Awuah and Okraku therefore adds another layer to the scrutiny surrounding the Black Stars as the team begins a new competitive cycle under Queiroz.
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