A seasoned sports journalist, Veronica Commey, has called for the resignation of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kurt Okraku, following the Black Stars’ failure to qualify for AFCON 2025.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on November 18, Commey minced no words in attributing the national team’s recent struggles to poor leadership at the GFA.
“What GFA President Kurt Okraku should be doing is taking responsibility for the fact that he has supervised the worst-ever spell for Ghana in five years,” she stated emphatically.
This year’s AFCON qualification failure marks the first time since 2004 that Ghana’s national team has missed the tournament.https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?
For Ms Commey, this is part of a worrying pattern under Okraku’s tenure, which she described as Ghana’s worst era in football.
‘The disappointment is not just about the game but also about the pride and unity the team brings to the country.’ she said.
“Back-to-back exits at the Nations Cup in the first round and now failing to qualify. In any serious country, heads must roll,” she argued, stressing the need for accountability at the highest level of Ghana football.
Ms Commey was critical of Okraku’s reluctance to acknowledge his role in the team’s decline.
“People must have the integrity or the standard to say, ‘I had ideas, I wanted to do well, and now that we do not qualify, it is important that I step aside because perhaps my ideas are no longer working,’” she said.
She also took issue with Okraku’s characterisation of Ghana’s qualification for the 2022 World Cup as the pinnacle of his achievements.
“I disagree with his view that qualifying for Qatar was the height of heights. In 2010, we were almost semi-finalists at the World Cup. So it cannot be the height of heights,” she remarked.
Ms Commey pointed out the stark contrast between the GFA’s celebratory tone during successes and its lack of responsibility during failures.
“When you qualified the nation for the Nations Cup and the World Cup, you were gloating all over the place and taking the credit. You have failed. You must do the same,” she stated.
Despite her scathing critique, Ms Commey expressed doubt that Kurt Okraku would step down willingly.
“Would he have the courage and the standard to know that, having disappointed the nation so much, he should step down? I can’t really imagine it happening, because if I look at the tone of his post, it tells me he feels he should be around,” she observed.
The journalist dismissed any excuses tied to the challenges of transitioning from the normalization committee era, stating bluntly: “It’s been five years, and you cannot say that post-normalization is still well underway. It is not.”
Ms Commey’s impassioned plea underscores the urgency for reforms in Ghana football leadership. Her message is clear: accountability and change are necessary to revive the Black Stars’ fortunes.
“This is Ghana’s worst spell in football, and those in charge must own up and step aside for the sake of the nation,” she concluded.