By: Nana Kwame Bediako
President Akufo-Addo has bemoaned the state of sports and its gradual decline in the country.
According to him, a presidential policy on football will be unveiled soon to revive fortunes of the national team.
The President disclosed this in his State of the Nation Address to Parliament on February 27, 2024.
Recounting recent developments, he drew out some bothersome topics relating to the poor performance of the Black Stars and the right implementation that has been put in place to revive football in Ghana once again.
“There are various attempts made to revive the fortunes of the national team and rebel the enthusiasm of the people for varying degrees of success. The recent AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire was properly a reflection of the poor state of football in the country, which left the nation saddened. However, I am quite certain that the young men and the technical team, who themselves wanted to make our nation proud, and I believe the captain, Andre Dede Ayew, meant every word when he rendered a heartfelt apology on behalf of his teammate to all Ghanaians on the team’s early exit.”
The Black Stars of Ghana in the just-ended Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire managed to draw two of their games and lose one without accumulating a single win in the 34th edition of the tournament.
But President Akufo-Addo says it’s time to correct the state of football, outlining that it’s time to return to scouting, grooming, and developing talent at the grassroots level under presidential policy on football.
His Excellency Akufo-Addo stated that it is time we take a long-term, fast-cited approach to correct the poor state of football in the country.
“The school sports department of the Ministry of Education will work hand in hand with the Ministry of Youth and Sports in collaboration with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to build district, regional, and national juvenile teams for both girls and boys. More than 150 astroturf pitches constructed throughout the country under this administration provide the foundational facilities to make a start as we strive to provide more of them, which will see a steady progression of talent up the leader from the juvenile junior teams to the senior side based on merit and nothing else.”
He mentioned that it was under this plan that Ghana discovered talents such as Michael Essien, Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari, John Mensah, Stephen Appiah, and Derrick Boateng.
He further urged Ghanaians to have patience, adding that, with time and dedication, the Black Stars will shine again.