Agyemang-Badu blames Black Stars' struggles on decline of youth development

Former Ghana international Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has attributed the recent struggles of the Black Stars to the deterioration of the country's youth football programs.

Since the Black Starlets' participation in the U-17 World Cup in 2017, none of Ghana's male youth teams have qualified for global competitions, with only Mohammed Kudus from that generation securing a consistent spot in the senior national team.

In an interview with the BBC, Agyemang-Badu explained that the current problems facing the senior national team are deeply rooted in the decline of the junior teams, which were once a strong foundation for the Black Stars’ success.

"For the past four or five years, it's been very difficult for Ghana," he said. "The basic structures that used to help us qualify for major tournaments have changed.

Our strength as a nation has always been our youth teams because that's where our future Black Stars players come from, and now those systems have collapsed."

Agyemang-Badu recalled the past success of youth players like Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, and Derek Boateng, who transitioned from U-20 tournaments to form the core of the Black Stars.

He lamented the lack of a similar flow of talent today, noting the significant impact it has had on the senior team's performance.

"We haven't been able to build youth teams that feed into the senior squad. This has made it tough for supporters and everyone involved," he added.

Following Ghana’s 2-0 loss to Sudan on October 15, the Black Stars are in danger of missing the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Agyemang-Badu expressed concern, acknowledging how difficult it has become for the team to even qualify for AFCON, stressing the need for a return to the basics of youth development.

Currently, Ghana sits third in their AFCON qualifying group behind Angola and Sudan. They must win their remaining two matches in November and hope for Sudan to drop points in order to secure a spot in the tournament.