Former Black Stars Management Committee member Ernest Thompson has called on Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams to help prevent any move to dissolve the Ghana Football Association following the team’s poor start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Ghana have lost their opening two Group C matches, leading to calls for major changes within the country’s football administration.
Some public officials, including former Sports Minister Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye and Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Minister Samuel Nartey George, have backed calls for the GFA to be dissolved.
However, Thompson has warned that dissolving the association could create further difficulties because of FIFA regulations concerning government interference in football administration.
He believes the immediate focus should be on bringing the relevant stakeholders together to identify the problems affecting Ghana football and find ways to address them.
Thompson said he would not support another period of normalisation and suggested that Kofi Adams, possibly with the involvement of Parliament’s Committee on Youth and Sports, should help facilitate discussions among the stakeholders.
He also referred to previous meetings in Winneba and other interventions where people outside football were brought in to help resolve disputes within the sport.
According to Thompson, the GFA must recognise its challenges and be prepared to accept assistance where necessary.
He also raised concerns about how the Black Stars squad was selected for the opening two AFCON qualifying matches.
Thompson claimed he had been informed that the Black Stars Management Committee did not meet to discuss and approve the squad before it was announced.
He said the committee had previously played a role in reviewing proposed squads, questioning the coach and consulting the medical team before the final squad was approved.
Thompson believes that process was not followed before Ghana’s first two qualifying matches.
He further claimed that he sent messages on September 23, a day before Ghana’s match against Côte d’Ivoire, warning about problems within the team’s management structure.
He described the situation as a lack of coordination between some members of the Black Stars management team and officials of the GFA.
Thompson also questioned the withdrawal of several players from the squad and raised concerns about whether adequate medical checks had been conducted before the squad was announced.
The Black Stars remain without a point in Group C after losing 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké and suffering a 4-2 home defeat to The Gambia after taking a two-goal lead.
The results have left Ghana at the bottom of the group and increased pressure on the football authorities.
Head coach Carlos Queiroz subsequently left his position after the two defeats.
The GFA has since established a five-member committee to oversee the selection of a new Black Stars coach. The committee is expected to submit its report to the Sports Ministry on Friday, October 9.
Ghana will return to the AFCON qualifiers in November with back-to-back matches against Somalia.
