Former Black Stars player, John Paintsil, has rejected assertions that Ghanaian football is experiencing a decline, stating that there are no fundamental issues with the sport in the country.
His comments follow the #SaveGhanaFootball protest, which took place on February 14, 2024.
During the demonstration, football enthusiasts and journalists voiced their discontent with the Ghana Football Association (GFA), citing various grievances, including the early exit of the Black Stars from the 2023 AFCON tournament during the group stages.
“I need to know the point of the demonstration. If it’s Ghana football, then we are not talking about the national team. The national team comes once every four months,” John Paintsil said.
He emphasised that the criticisms regarding the Black Stars’ underperformance are unfounded, as people seem to overlook the team’s achievements in qualifying for both the World Cup and AFCON tournaments.
“Even when we talk about the Black Stars, they qualified us for the World Cup. We have to see that we are still building. It’s not the responsibility of the FA to look after local-based players. It’s up to the teams to develop well,” Paintsil said.
Although protesters have expressed concerns about the lack of opportunities for local players in the national team, Paintsil said it’s the prerogative of the coach to invite players, not the FA.
He said, “Every national team coach has a philosophy and they want to do well to improve their CV. It’s not the FA who determines which local player is called; the so-called interference in hearsay, there is no truth in that.”