Former Black Stars assistant Coach George Boateng has sounded the alarm on Ghana’s football woes, stating that the team’s decline has accelerated since his departure.
In an interview on Soccer Africa, Boateng attributed the team’s struggles in recent times to a lack of continuity, emphasizing that the success of the national team relies heavily on this crucial aspect.
“I’m a very strong believer in continuity. I said it straight after the tournament [2023 AFCON] and also in the media that as disappointing as it is, the federation has to analyze. “
The 49-year-old Dutch international, who was part of the technical staff that guided Ghana to the 2023 AFCON, believes that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) failed to analyze the team’s mistakes and make necessary changes after the tournament.
“You have to go in-depth to see where the mistakes were in terms of management, players, staff and then you replace those that were not competent enough; whether being a playing body, staff member or technical staff. And then you rebuild on that but I’m not too sure if that has been done after the African Cup of Nations.”
Ghana’s dismal performance in the 2023 AFCON, where they blew a two-goal lead in the dying minutes of the game, resulting in a draw and subsequent exit from the group stage, was a bitter pill to swallow. The team’s inability to qualify from the group stages for a second consecutive time raised eyebrows, and the GFA’s decision to show Boateng and the technical staff the exit door was seen as a knee-jerk reaction.
However, Boateng’s assertion that the team’s decline has worsened since his departure is hard to argue with.
“You can see that after I left, we’ve now had a bigger slide because at least when I was there we qualified and we were unlucky not to get out of the group stage.”
Ghana’s football fortunes have been on a downward spiral, with the team struggling to find its footing. Ghana suffered a shocking setback, failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the first time in 20 years, after a dismal qualifying campaign that saw them fail to secure a single victory, ultimately finishing at the bottom of their qualifying group.
The Black Stars’ faithful will hope that the GFA will take heed of Boateng’s words and prioritize continuity in their quest to revive the team’s fortunes.
As the saying goes, “you can’t keep changing the coach and expect different results.” Boateng’s emphasis on continuity serves as a reminder that building a successful team takes time, patience, and a clear vision.
Ghana has undergone a coaching merry-go-round since 2018, with five different managers at the helm, yet none have been able to meet expectations, resulting in a cycle of underperformance and instability.
With Otto Addo set to remain as the head coach of the senior national team, it remain unseen if the GFA will take a leaf out of Boateng’s book and prioritize continuity, or continue to slide down the slippery slopes of African football? Only time will tell.
