Ibrahim Saanie Daara cautions against knee-jerk reactions after Black Stars' AFCON failure

Ibrahim Saanie Daara, former Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has cautioned against hasty decisions to dismiss Black Stars coach Otto Addo and the GFA leadership after the team's failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express, Saanie Daara warned against a “trigger-happy approach” when dealing with setbacks like this, urging for a more thoughtful evaluation before making decisions.

"When issues like this happen, we are often too eager to say, ‘Sack this person or that person.’ But it’s more prudent to take a considered approach, assess what went wrong, and then make informed decisions," he advised.

While acknowledging that both the coach and the GFA leadership share some responsibility for the failure, Saanie Daara emphasized the importance of carefully analyzing the reasons behind the team’s poor performance.

"We need to look at what went wrong. Was it the coaching? The management? The players? Only after a thorough analysis can we determine the best course of action," he explained.

The former FA spokesperson also referenced Ghana's past resilience, reminding listeners that despite struggles at AFCON, the country qualified for the 2022 World Cup.

"That showed promise," he said, highlighting that the nation has the potential to bounce back.

Although critical of the GFA’s Executive Committee for their "deafening" silence, Saanie Daara stressed the importance of continuity and stability, urging caution when making radical changes.

"Radical changes might be necessary, but they must not destroy what has already been built. Fix what is broken, but don’t tear everything down," he concluded.

The GFA’s Executive Council is expected to meet on Wednesday to evaluate the team's performance and determine the next steps.