Former Ghana international Sulley Muntari has slammed the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for its chaotic handling of the Black Stars‘ captaincy during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, describing the decisions as “horribly” managed.
The criticism follows a controversial leadership shuffle after regular captain Thomas Partey withdrew due to injury, resulting in the armband passing to Mohammed Kudus and later to Jordan Ayew.
Head coach Otto Addo initially appointed West Ham United midfielder Kudus as captain for Ghana’s October 2024 qualifier against Sudan.
However, in subsequent matches against Angola and Niger, Addo reassigned the captaincy to Jordan Ayew.
The abrupt changes caused widespread confusion, with many attributing the team’s disjointed performances to poor leadership decisions, ultimately contributing to their failure to qualify for AFCON 2025.
Muntari, a 2010 World Cup veteran, condemned the GFA, stating, “It was [handled] horribly. It is the FA. They can’t control themselves; that’s why that happened. Usually, the armband is handed to the most experienced one.”
As Ghana shifts focus to 2026 World Cup qualifiers starting in March 2024, calls grow for clearer leadership protocols to prevent further discord in the national team setup.
