Former Ghana striker Augustine Arhinful has sparked a heated debate in the Ghanaian football fraternity with his recent comments on the management structure of the national teams. According to Arhinful, having separate management committees for each national team is unnecessary and inefficient.
The last Black Stars Management Committee was dissolved in the wake of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council’s meeting which took place on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 after the Black Stars terrible 2025 AFCON qualification campaign—one that cost Ghana’s appearance at the AFCON for the first time in 20 years.
The GFA EXCO at the time, through a press statement, decided to dissolve the Black Stars Management Committee immediately.
“Immediate dissolution of the Management Committee of the senior national football team, the Black Stars. In doing so, we sincerely thank the members of the Committee for their service to Ghana Football over the years” the statement read.
It has recently been replaced with Dr. Randy Abbey (Bank Roller of for Premier League side Heart of Lions) as the chairman and former Ghana skipper, Stephen Appiah also serving on the committee as Player relations and integration.
Arhinful, who had a storied career with the Black Stars, believes that it’s high time for the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to streamline its management structure by having a single management committee oversee all national teams.
“Having management committees at every national team is needless,” Arhinful stated emphatically. “We need to have one management committee in charge of all national teams. It is about time we put proper structures in place.”
Arhinful’s comments have resonated with many football enthusiasts and pundits, who argue that the current system is cumbersome and prone to inefficiencies. By having separate management committees for each national team, there is a risk of duplication of efforts, conflicting priorities, and a lack of cohesion in the overall strategy.
A single management committee, on the other hand, would provide a unified vision and direction for all national teams, from the U-17 to the senior Black Stars. This would enable better resource allocation, more effective communication, and a more streamlined approach to player development and team preparation.
Moreover, having a single management committee would also help to reduce costs and minimize the bureaucratic red tape that often hinders decision-making in Ghanaian football.
While Arhinful’s proposal may require significant reforms and restructuring within the GFA, many believe that it’s a necessary step towards building a more efficient, effective, and successful national team setup.
