Calls Grow for Kurt Okraku to Step Down as Black Stars Crisis Deepens After Gambia Defeat

By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi & Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada
September 30, 2026

 

Pressure is mounting on Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku following the Black Stars’ disappointing start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, with renewed calls for changes at the leadership of Ghanaian football.

The latest criticism followed Ghana’s dramatic 4–2 defeat to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

Ghana appeared to be in control after taking a two-goal lead, but the Black Stars suffered a dramatic collapse and conceded four goals to lose the match on home soil.

The result has intensified an already difficult period for Ghana’s senior national team and has triggered fresh questions about the direction of the country’s football administration.

One of the strongest calls came from sports enthusiast and lawyer Joseph Okan-Mensah Khartey, who published an opinion article on Citi Sports titled “Kurt must go.”

In the article, Khartey argues that Okraku has had several years to improve Ghanaian football and that the problems surrounding the Black Stars and the wider football structure can no longer be attributed solely to individual coaches.

His argument comes as Ghana faces the possibility of another disappointing Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

Ghana surrender two-goal advantage

The Black Stars entered Tuesday’s game looking to recover from a 2–0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké in their opening 2027 AFCON qualifier.Playing at home in Accra, Ghana started strongly.

Ernest Nuamah opened the scoring before Felix Afena-Gyan doubled Ghana’s advantage from a free kick.With a 2–0 lead, Ghana appeared to be in a comfortable position.The match, however, changed dramatically.

The Gambia reduced the deficit through Muhammed Badamosi from the penalty spot before Omar Colley equalised before halftime.

Ebrima Colley then completed the comeback as The Gambia scored again, leaving Ghana trailing.The visitors eventually added another goal to complete a 4–2 victory.

The defeat was particularly damaging because it came at home and left Ghana without a point after the first two matches of the qualifying campaign.The result also added to concerns about Ghana’s recent competitive record.

A difficult period for the Black Stars

The latest defeat comes after a series of disappointing results and tournament performances involving the Black Stars.

Ghana failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, bringing an end to the country’s run of regular appearances at the continental tournament.The Black Stars had also struggled at previous major tournaments.

At the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, which was played in 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana exited at the group stage.

The team also failed to progress beyond the group stage at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which was held in Côte d’Ivoire in 2024.The failure to qualify for the 2025 tournament represented a further setback.

Ghana subsequently qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but the team’s recent form has remained a source of concern.

Citi Sports reported that, before Tuesday’s defeat to The Gambia, the Black Stars had won only once in their previous 11 matches. The defeat to The Gambia made it one win in 12.

Kurt Okraku’s tenure under renewed scrutiny

Kurt Okraku has been president of the Ghana Football Association since October 2019.

His administration inherited an association that was still recovering from the major disruption caused by the “Number 12” investigative documentary and the subsequent government intervention in Ghanaian football.Okraku was elected following a FIFA-backed normalization process.

Since taking office, his administration has overseen several major developments in Ghanaian football, including the country’s qualification for the 2022 and 2026 World Cups.

However, the performance of the Black Stars has increasingly become one of the biggest sources of criticism directed at the GFA.

Critics argue that the national team should be performing at a higher level given the number of talented Ghanaian players playing in major leagues around the world.

The latest defeat has therefore renewed the debate over whether responsibility should rest primarily with coaches and players or whether the GFA leadership should also be held accountable.

Khartey argues that the problem goes beyond the coach

In his Citi Sports opinion article, Joseph Okan-Mensah Khartey argues that repeatedly changing coaches does not address what he sees as deeper structural problems.

He points to the changes in the Black Stars’ technical leadership and argues that coaches have repeatedly been replaced while the people responsible for appointing them remain in office.

Khartey specifically criticises what he describes as a cycle in which a new coach is appointed, expectations rise, results disappoint, and another coach is eventually brought in.

He argues that this approach amounts to reacting to crises rather than establishing a long-term football development strategy.His criticism extends beyond the senior national team.

He argues that Ghana needs stronger youth development structures, improved pitches, better coach education and a more coherent football development system.

Khartey’s article also references comments attributed to current Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz concerning investment in youth development, coach education, playing surfaces and communication between the federation and players.

The opinion writer uses those concerns to argue that some of the problems facing the national team are structural rather than simply tactical.

The coach also faces criticism

While Khartey places significant responsibility on the GFA leadership, Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has also come under criticism following the latest defeat.

Ghana conceded four goals after taking a 2–0 lead, raising questions about the team’s defensive organization and its ability to manage matches. Queiroz has also faced criticism for comments made before the game concerning supporters attending matches.

The Portuguese coach had expressed frustration with the atmosphere surrounding the national team and the criticism directed at the team.Following the defeat, those comments have attracted additional attention because thousands of supporters watched Ghana surrender its advantage at the Accra Sports Stadium.However, the GFA leadership has remained the central focus of much of the public criticism.

Injuries have affected the team

The Black Stars did not have all of their regular players available for the latest qualifying window.

Several important players, including Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo, were unavailable.

According to Citi Sports, Queiroz also spoke about a large number of injured players affecting his squad.

The absence of key players has provided some context for Ghana’s recent performances.

However, critics argue that injuries alone cannot explain the broader pattern of disappointing results.

That debate is likely to continue as Ghana prepares for the remaining matches in the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.

Ghana now faces a difficult qualifying campaign

The Black Stars have started their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign with two defeats.

Ghana lost 2–0 to Côte d’Ivoire before suffering the 4–2 home defeat to The Gambia.

That leaves the team without a point after two matches.

The qualifying campaign is not yet over, but the poor start has increased the pressure on both the technical team and the GFA.

According to the argument presented by Khartey, Ghana cannot afford to wait until the end of the qualifying campaign before confronting the problems surrounding the national team.

He argues that another failure to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations would deepen concerns about the direction of Ghanaian football.

Debate over dissolving the GFA

The calls for changes have gone beyond demands for Okraku’s resignation.Following the 4–2 defeat, some voices have also called for the Ghana Football Association itself to be dissolved and replaced with a temporary administrative structure.That proposal, however, comes with significant complications.

FIFA rules require national football associations to operate independently from government interference.A government decision to dissolve or take control of a football association can result in sanctions from FIFA, including suspension from international football.

Ghana has experienced such tensions before.

In 2018, government action against the GFA led to a FIFA normalisation process after FIFA warned Ghana over possible suspension.

The subsequent normalisation committee oversaw the restructuring of the association and eventually paved the way for new GFA elections in 2019.

Okraku won those elections and became GFA president.

Some argue for a new normalisation process

The current debate has therefore produced another proposal: rather than directly taking control of the GFA, the government could potentially seek a FIFA-supported normalisation arrangement.

Another Citi Sports opinion article published on September 30 argues that such an approach could provide a way to restructure Ghanaian football while avoiding some of the consequences associated with direct government interference.

That proposal remains part of the public debate rather than an announced government policy.

There has been no confirmed announcement that the government has decided to dissolve the GFA or establish a new normalisation committee.

Government involvement would carry risks

Any decision by the government to intervene directly in football administration would have to take FIFA’s rules into account.

A FIFA suspension could prevent Ghana’s national teams and clubs from participating in international competitions.

Such a development could affect the Black Stars, the Black Queens, Ghana’s youth national teams and Ghanaian clubs participating in CAF competitions.

It could also create uncertainty for players and officials whose careers depend on international football.

This is one of the main arguments against direct government intervention.

At the same time, those calling for a major restructuring argue that avoiding intervention simply because of the possibility of a FIFA suspension could allow existing problems to continue.

The debate therefore involves competing considerations: maintaining football’s administrative independence on one hand and responding to concerns about accountability and performance on the other.

Supporters increasingly frustrated

The frustration among Ghanaian football supporters is not entirely new.

Supporters have staged demonstrations and publicly criticised GFA leadership in previous years.

In 2024, a #SaveGhanaFootball demonstration was held amid concerns about the state of Ghanaian football.

GFA officials were booed during the demonstration, with some protesters calling for Okraku to leave office.

The latest defeat has therefore revived an argument that has existed for several years.

The difference now is that Ghana’s poor start to the 2027 AFCON qualifiers has given the debate renewed urgency.

What happens next?

Ghana still has matches remaining in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

The immediate challenge for the Black Stars will be to recover points in their remaining fixtures and prevent the opening two defeats from becoming decisive.

For the GFA, however, the issue is broader than the next qualification match.

The latest criticism raises questions about the federation’s long-term strategy, technical appointments, youth development, infrastructure, coaching development and relationship with supporters.

Kurt Okraku remains the elected president of the Ghana Football Association, and no official decision has been announced removing him from office.

The demand for his resignation is currently coming from critics, football personalities, supporters and commentators, including the author of the Citi Sports opinion piece.

Whether those calls develop into an organised campaign for leadership change remains to be seen.

A debate that is unlikely to disappear

The 4–2 defeat to The Gambia has reopened one of the most persistent questions in Ghanaian football: who should ultimately be held responsible when the national team repeatedly fails to meet expectations?

Coaches are responsible for tactics, team selection and match preparation.

Players are responsible for their performances on the pitch.

The football association, meanwhile, is responsible for broader administration, development structures and the appointment and supervision of technical leadership.

The current debate centres on where that responsibility should end.

For Khartey, the answer is clear: the problems have persisted long enough under the current GFA leadership that a change at the top is necessary.

Others may point to the World Cup qualification, player injuries, coaching decisions or wider structural problems that cannot be attributed to one individual.

What is not in dispute is that Ghana’s 4–2 defeat to The Gambia has significantly intensified scrutiny of the country’s football administration.

With the 2027 AFCON qualifiers now underway, the Black Stars have little room for further setbacks.

And as Ghana prepares for the next stage of the campaign, the pressure on Kurt Okraku, Carlos Queiroz and the wider GFA leadership is likely to remain one of the biggest talking points in Ghanaian football.