Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku has dismissed suggestions that the association influences player selections for the Black Stars, insisting that the responsibility lies solely with the team’s technical handlers.
Okraku made the clarification on Wednesday, November 4, when he appeared before Parliament’s Select Committee on Youth and Sports to address issues concerning the administration and development of Ghana football.
Responding to questions about the selection of players for the senior national team, the GFA president maintained that the association’s Executive Council does not interfere in the technical decisions of the coaching staff.
“The GFA does not select players. If this ExCo was in the business of selecting players for coaches, I’m sure one of them would’ve come out publicly to say that this is what has been happening,” he stated.
His comments come amid longstanding debates over player selection for the Black Stars, with questions frequently raised about squad composition, the inclusion of certain players and the possible influence of football administrators on technical decisions.
However, Okraku was emphatic that selecting players remains the responsibility of the head coach and his technical team, distancing the GFA leadership from claims of interference in the process.
The Black Stars are expected to return to action this month when they face Somalia in a crucial double-header in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Ghana will be desperate to get their qualifying campaign back on track after suffering consecutive defeats to Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia in their opening Group C matches.
The upcoming fixtures will therefore be crucial for the Black Stars as they seek to revive their qualification hopes and improve their position in the group.
