Ernest Thompson, a former member of the management committee of the Black Stars
Ernest Thompson, a former member of the management committee of the Black Stars, has outlined what he views as the major obstacles facing the team.
In an interview with Joy FM, the former Hearts of Oak board member noted that the Black Stars fall short in every aspect of the game and that immediate actions must be taken to reverse the course.
In terms of coaching, Ernest Thompson reckons coach Otto Addo has reached his ceiling and, therefore, ought to be shown the exit.
“For me, the problem is two-fold. We have a bad technical team. They are not up to the task if they are to lead us in the next five years because Ghanaians don’t have the patience to wait for a coach who is young and still learning,” he stated.
“Otto Addo has done his best. At times, you promote people to their level of competence, and beyond that, they cannot do much. He’s done his best, and I think at this stage, he and his technical team should go,” Thompson said emphatically.
Ernest Thompson also spoke about the lack of unity in the team, noting that division and disunity reign in the team and ultimately affect performance on the pitch.
“That team you’re calling the Black Stars is not a team; it is a group of individuals who are very conflictual. There’s so much conflict in that team. Kurt [Okraku] and the rest should take responsibility for keeping things to themselves,” he noted.
“There’s spiritualism in that team; there’s conflict in that team. They only come and stand on the pitch as if they are together. It’s not a football team we have there; it’s a group of individuals who are highly conflicted,” he said.
“Ask yourself, especially if you’re experienced in football administration: why would eight players tell you they are not available simply because the captaincy has been given back to Jordan [Ayew]? There’s a problem there. Don’t come and tell me that they are not available because they are injured. No! It’s because they are divided,” he argued.
The Black Stars have become topical once again following the team’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
In the six matches played in the qualifiers, Ghana won none, drew three, and lost three, finishing bottom of Group F. Angola and Sudan are the two teams that qualified from the group.
Watch the latest edition of Sports Debate below:
EK
