Black Stars – Ohene Djan must be turning in his grave

The year is 2024, the Black Stars of Ghana have been kicked out of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) at the group stage for the second consecutive time, which means the 42-year wait for an AFCON title has been extended.

For how long? This is the question on the lips of Ghanaians who are also questioning the overly continuous investment in the team. Sports enthusiasts, politicians, entertainment stars, and people from all walks of life are disgruntled.

In 1913, Ohene Djan, Ghana’s first Sports Minister was born. The Black Stars would then be formed year after the country’s independence under the watch of Ohene Djan and the first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Nkrumah’s love for sports was unmatched and in Ohene Djan, he had an unblemished administrator.

Gathering a team that encompasses deftness, hunger, passion and a great dose of national unity, Ohene Djan selected the best players across the country, the “almighty” star-studded Real Madrid-like team was formed (the Real Republicans), illustrating the desire and thoughts of the now self-governing nation.

Ohene Djan’s quest was to build a hardworking national team that would represent Ghana on the world stage. Rapidly stamping their feet on African football turf, the Black Stars won competitions – the first being the AFCON title in 1963 and stylishly repeated the feat in the next immediate tournament, 1965 in Tunisia.

The continued success of the team helped spur national pride and promote national unity.

In chasing their dreams and striving for perfection, the Black Stars became the inspiration for almost every young footballer across the country. Ohene Djan’s exemplary commitment and management to grow football laid the foundation for future football administrators and players on and off the pitch.

Ghana won two more AFCON titles in 1978 and 1982 making it four titles. Since then, the Black Stars have been to the World Cup four times reaching the quarterfinal once in 2010; played in three AFCON finals – 1992, 2010 and 2015 plus multiple semi-finals, mouthwatering financial commitments – budget and expenditure.

But what of long-term goals? Any of us would struggle to identify one. I am not sure what is in the long-gone technical director, Bernhard Lippert’s Ghana football DNA. What I know is that hopes have been raised alongside big talks before tournaments, talks of changing the game but without fixing the fundamentals.

We are rewarding loyalty at the expense of competence, production line of players into national teams is questionable coupled with evidence of poor coaching and the likes; we are failing to fix the basics.

The once fancied Ghana Black Stars – a model for the rest of the continent now labour to beat small island countries that in the 1960s did not even exist on the map.

While we continue to grapple with organisation and properly managing national team football, I wonder how Ohene Djan would have felt if he was alive today.