Experienced coach Joseph Emmanuel (J.E) Sarpong has openly criticized the management of the Black Stars following their disappointing performance in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

Sarpong believes that the mismanagement of the team by its management is contributing to its struggles and causing heartbreak among Ghanaian football fans.

Sarpong’s comments come after the Black Stars’ failure to qualify for the 2025 AFCON, having secured just three points from their six matches in Group F, including losses to Angola, Sudan, and Niger.

The team’s poor form has left many fans disillusioned and disappointed.

“The Black Stars are the only thing that brings us together. They are toying with our hearts.

The team is our heartbeat, even if it seems the heartbeat is suffering from convulsions,” Sarpong lamented during an appearance on Adom TV's Big Agenda show.

The former coach attributed some of the team’s troubles to the Ghana Football Association's (GFA) failure to hire a world-class coach, suggesting that the lack of investment in a top-tier manager has contributed to the Black Stars' struggles.

“This is the National Team. You need to spend a lot of money to get a good coach. But if you decide to spend less, you get a cheap option, and that is what the team is facing,” Sarpong explained.

In light of the team’s dismal performance, Sarpong expressed a bleak outlook, even going so far as to say, “With this performance, I even hope we do not qualify for the World Cup.”