MPs, fans mount pressure on President Mahama to dissolve Black Stars, GFA

President John Dramani Mahama has been called upon by football fans and some prominent personalities to assert his authority and dissolve the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Black Stars following the team’s recent poor performances.

The Black Stars lost 2-0 to Côte d'Ivoire in their first game and went on to suffer a 4-2 defeat to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.

In Group C, Côte d'Ivoire and The Gambia lead with six points each, while Ghana and Somalia lie at the bottom with zero points after two games.

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This puts the team’s chances of qualification under serious threat, as they have to win against Somalia in a double-header before taking on the other two opponents, who have taken a significant lead.

Following this, some concerned Ghanaian fans who witnessed the game at the Accra Sports Stadium, in interviews with GhanaWeb Sports, bemoaned the dwindling fortunes of the team, saying the situation has saddened them greatly.

Most of the individuals urged Kurt Okraku to resign from his role and, if he continues to ignore the calls, President Mahama should step in, dissolve the administration, and undertake reforms.

Others also made an earnest appeal for the Black Stars to be dissolved, arguing that the team is suffering from poor management under the current handlers and that standards continue to decline.

Aside from the fans, some prominent political figures, including the Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, also added their voices to the calls for dissolution following the team’s recent struggles.

“As for the Black Stars, my position before is my position today. Disband the team. Sack the FA. Let FIFA ban us for 2 years. Take the time to properly rebuild the team. Truth hurts, but the patchwork is worse. Cheers,” he wrote on his X page after the Black Stars’ 4-2 defeat to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, also joined the calls for government intervention.

According to him, the current Ghana Football Association has underperformed significantly and needs to be overhauled so that competent individuals can manage its affairs.

“We failed to qualify for AFCON; we went to the World Cup and returned, and there is no plan for us to qualify for the next AFCON. Players were excluded until others withdrew, and that was when they were recalled. Our football is dead, even youth football. First of all, I think the government should step in; we need to reform our football. Forget about FIFA,” he said in an interview with Citi FM.

Amid the calls, President Mahama is yet to officially comment on the state of football in the country and what his administration intends to do going forward.

SB/EB

'Dissolve the Black Stars, Kurt Okraku must resign!' - Ghanaians react to The Gambia defeat