Ghana FA announces Nov 28 retreat to address Black Stars' AFCON failure

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has scheduled a retreat for November 28, 2024, at the Ghanaman Soccer Center of Excellence in Prampram.

This follows the Black Stars’ failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, marking the team’s first absence from the tournament in 20 years.

Ghana’s performance in the qualifiers saw the team finish at the bottom of Group F with just three points from six matches, recording three draws and three losses. The last time the Black Stars won the AFCON was in 1982.

In a statement, the GFA emphasized the importance of addressing the concerns raised by football stakeholders and the public.

The retreat aims to bring together diverse voices to chart a roadmap for revitalizing Ghana’s national football teams.

Key stakeholders, including the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), media representatives, the National Sports Authority, former players, coaches, traditional leaders, and professionals from various fields, will participate in the retreat.

Government agencies such as the Ministries of Sports, Finance, and Education, along with the Ghana Revenue Authority and Ghana Tourism Authority, will also be represented.

The GFA’s statement reads:

“Given the passion and concern shown by members and stakeholders of Ghana Football as well as the general public, the GFA shall hold a Ghana Football Retreat to which members and all stakeholders shall be invited.

The output from this Retreat shall be used to develop a roadmap for enhancing the performance of the Black Stars and our other national teams.

We appreciate the support and patience of the Ghanaian people and look forward to making amends in the future.”

Ahead of the retreat, the GFA will meet with Black Stars head coach Otto Addo on November 27 to review his technical report on the AFCON qualifiers.

This comes in the wake of the dissolution of the Black Stars Management Committee as part of restructuring efforts.