GFA President Okraku vows to end Ghana’s 44-year AFCON drought
17th February 2026
The president of the Ghana Football Association, Kurt Okraku, says winning the Africa Cup of Nations remains his foremost ambition as head of the country’s football administration.
Ghana, four-time continental champions, have not lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy since 1982. The Ghana national football team have come close in recent years, finishing as runners-up in 1992, 2010 and 2015, but have been unable to reclaim the title.
Since Okraku assumed office in 2019, the Black Stars have endured difficult campaigns, exiting at the group stage of the 2021 tournament in Cameroon and the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast. More recently, Ghana failed to qualify for the 2025 finals in Morocco after not winning a single game in the qualifiers.
Despite those setbacks, Okraku says his resolve remains intact.
“I want to win the Africa Cup of Nations, and that is the fact,” he told Asaase Radio. “Only God knows the number of times we have tried and have not been able to win the AFCON title. Basically, I want to win every tournament for Ghana and place Ghana on the medal podium on any given occasion.”
While acknowledging the struggles of the senior men’s team, Okraku pointed to successes at youth and women’s levels as evidence of progress. Ghana’s Under-20 side won the AFCON title, the Ghana women's national football team claimed bronze at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and the Black Starlets have returned to continental competition after several years away.
He also highlighted the achievements of the Black Princesses, who have reached the final round of qualifiers for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Attention now turns to the global stage, with the Black Stars preparing to compete at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
For Okraku, however, the ultimate target remains clear: restoring Ghana to the summit of African football and ending a continental title drought that has stretched for more than four decades.