The Minister of Education Hon. Haruna Iddrisu has slammed the Ghana black Stars’ performance over the failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, he lamented the team’s poor performance, noting that they have failed to secure a win in their last six matches.
Hon. Iddrisu highlighted that Ghana’s football history and reputation are being eroded due to the team’s inability to perform at its expected standard. He stressed that beyond the players, systemic issues within Ghanaian football need urgent attention.
Addressing the Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Iddrisu cautioned against undue interference in football administration. However, he also emphasized the need for strong leadership to ensure the right structures are in place.
He urged the Ministry to take decisive action in addressing the shortcomings in football management, particularly at the local level.
Hon. Iddrisu did not shy away from pointing out the challenges at the grassroots level of football, especially in terms of officiating and playing conditions.
“At a local level, Mr. Speaker, officiating is poor and is not the best at all.”
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu Minister of Education
Additionally, he raised concerns about the poor condition of sports stadiums across the country.
“Mr. Speaker, let me share this with the minister. Currently, I use Tamale Sports Stadium [ Ali Mahama ]Sports Stadium as a venue for Karela. Even the field [maintenance], is not the state or the National Sports Authority, we had to fix it for our purposes to meet the minimum requirement of the GFA to use the pitch for the purpose of our competitive football.”
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu Minister of Education
He questioned how the GFA allocates its funds and urged the Ministry to scrutinize its spending.
“For every tournament, Mr. Speaker, even just participating, you will marvel how much money Ghana will make from participating in a World Cup.”
“The players even have personal benefits. In fact, the players who went to Qatar, a player who appeared only once went home with not less than $90,000 as his participating reward or benefit, not to talk of how much the country got. If you fared better and you got to semi-finals and finals, the bigger the reward.”
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu Minister of Education
Given these financial rewards, he argued that Ghana has no excuse for underperformance.
Reviving School Sports and Talent Development
One of the key solutions proposed by Hon. Iddrisu is the revitalization of school sports programs. He lauded the Minister of Sports’ intention to reactivate school football competitions, emphasizing their importance in talent discovery.
“Mr. Speaker, today, if you are sending players to Europe, they are now looking for fourteen, fifteen, eighteen years footballers.”
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu Minister of Education
Hon. Iddrisu further urged policymakers to focus on developing young footballers within the country, as this age group holds the highest market value in global football.
To sustain football development, Hon. Iddrisu emphasized the need for private-sector participation. He said;
“And we need partnership. And you must get into the private sector. I think that corporate entities as part of their corporate future responsibility must support football.”
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu Minister of Education
He stressed that investing in football is a lucrative venture, citing the success of individual players as evidence.
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu’s passionate statement underscored the urgent need for reforms in Ghanaian football.
He called for strong leadership, investment in youth development, proper financial management by the GFA, and increased private-sector involvement. His address is a clarion call to all stakeholders to work towards restoring Ghana’s football glory.
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