Ali El Jishi, a Dubai-based football recruiter and owner of TFA Rush Duba Academy has attributed Ghana’s consistent decline in international football to corruption.
In a video shared via his TikTok page, which has since gone viral on social media, El Jishi who espoused his love for Ghana and its people particularly the mentality and attitude of Ghanaian footballers, said the nation’s failure to win the AFCON title after 40 years is basically due to corruption.
"Ghana is one of my favourite teams in the AFCON, I always have a soft spot for Ghana because behind me there are three or four of my players or my better players are Ghanaians. I love Ghanaians; I love their attitude to football, I love their strength, I love their mentality.
"But what’s going on with Ghana at the AFCON? Now they haven’t won it for forty years, why? I tell you why, very simple; corruption. It’s like a bad smell and it seeps through the system.
"I know Ghana because I’ve recruited Ghanaian players for many many years. Right at the top level all the way down, there’s corruption,” he stated.
He went on to explain that the best local-based Ghanaian players have no interest in playing for the best clubs in the country due to the canker that permeates within the clubs.
“Because when the clubs get hold of you, all they want to do is cash in on you. They are not interested in development; they are not interested in your future. They are interested in making dollars off you.
"That’s what’s going on in Ghana,” he explained in the video which seemed to have been recorded prior to Ghana’s exit from the ongoing AFCON in Ivory Coast.
While bemoaning Ghana’s lack of investment in youth sports, the recruiter stated that Ghana will be lucky to make it past the group stages of the AFCON or to ever win the continental trophy again.
“They will be very lucky to qualify for this tournament; they won’t. they’ll be very lucky to dominate African football again, if things don’t change and change drastically,” he added.
Ghana crashed out of the ongoing AFCON in the group stage managing only two points in draws against Mozambique and Egypt while suffering defeat at the hands of Cape Verde.
Prior to the 2023 AFCON, Ghana suffered its worst performance at the tournament in the previous edition where it managed to get only a single point from three group matches.
The four-time champions have not won a single game at the AFCON since 2017.
GA/SARA
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