Former Black Stars management committee member, Ernest Thompson, has claimed that government sometimes influences the appointment of coaches for the national team.
According to the football administrator, there have been instances where pressure from the government resulted in the selection of coaches deemed unfit for the role.
In an interview with JoySports, Thompson stated that the process of interviewing coaches, as organized by the Ghana Football Association (GFA), is often a façade meant to distract fans from the reality that government interference plays a role in these decisions.
“At times, there’s pressure from above regarding who should be appointed as coach. This hasn’t only happened under this administration; it also occurred during ET Mensah’s time. I confronted ET when Mariano Barreto was hired and asked why. He told me, ‘I’m not trying to interfere with your work as the FA, but I’m intervening as the Sports Minister.’ Some of these appointments are beyond the control of the FA. All these interviews are just formalities,” he explained.
Thompson also revealed an incident where Black Stars players approached him to express concerns about the suitability of a coach ahead of a World Cup tournament.
“Before one of the World Cups, during a send-off at the State House, some players came to us and asked if we were sure about the coach leading the team. We told them, ‘This is the decision that’s been made, so we have to go with it,’” he added.
Ghana’s recent failure to win a single game in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, thereby missing out on the tournament, has sparked widespread criticism. Fans are now demanding urgent reforms within the country’s football system.
The fate of current Black Stars coach Otto Addo will be determined when the GFA’s Executive Council meets on Wednesday, November 27, 2024.
Watch Otto Addo’s heated discussion with a journalist during the post-match press conference via the video below
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