The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) has called for fundamental reforms in the management of Ghana’s national football teams following the Black Stars’ back-to-back defeats to Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
In a statement released on Thursday, October 1, SWAG expressed concern over what it described as the continuous decline of the Black Stars and Ghana football generally, saying the recent poor performances point to deep-rooted, systemic problems that require more than cosmetic changes.
The Black Stars missed the 2025 AFCON, the first time in two decades Ghana had failed to qualify for the tournament. They have also started the 2027 qualifiers without a point after losing 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire and 4-2 at home to The Gambia.
According to SWAG, the struggles extend beyond the senior national team, with the junior national teams also stagnating and the gap between the national teams and their supporters widening.
The Association said the departure of Carlos Queiroz, the latest in seven coaching changes since 2019, should not be viewed as the solution to Ghana’s football problems.
It argued that the recurring changes in coaches had failed to address the underlying issues, calling instead for a comprehensive review of how the national teams are managed and clear accountability at every level of the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
SWAG further called for a transparent, merit-based process for appointing the next Black Stars coach and technical team, based on competence and proven track record rather than patronage.
It also urged the GFA to revitalise the domestic league and establish a clear pathway for developing home-grown talent from youth football to the senior national teams.
The Association said Ghana had reached a crossroads where sentiment must give way to competence, stressing that the current approach to managing the national teams was outdated and unscientific.
"SWAG therefore calls for: A comprehensive review of how the national teams are managed, with clear accountability at every level of the Ghana Football Association."
"A transparent, merit-based process for appointing the next Black Stars coach and technical staff, based on competence and proven track record rather than patronage or cronyism,' the statement read.
SWAG consequently called on the GFA leadership to act decisively to reverse the decline of the national teams and urged the government to strengthen its supervision of the teams, which it funds, in order to protect the public interest and standards of Ghana football.
"We call on the GFA leadership to act decisively to reverse the decline of our national teams. We also urge government to protect the public interest and the standards of Ghana football by strengthening its supervision of the national teams, which it funds."
