Veteran Ghanaian coach Karim Zito has urged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to introduce stricter measures to improve player development in the country.
Ghana, a four-time African champion, has increasingly turned to European-born players to strengthen the senior national team in recent years. However, Zito, who currently coaches Dreams FC, believes this trend stems from the lack of a consistent and well-structured player development system in Ghana.
In an interview, Zito warned that the country’s ongoing struggles on the international stage would continue unless a proper succession plan was implemented. He highlighted the lack of continuity in player development as a major obstacle to the nation’s football progress.
“In the past, players naturally progressed through the ranks, but today, we break up teams after every competition and start scouting for new players,” Zito said in an interview with Graphic Sports. “That’s our biggest issue—there’s no consistency. If a player is part of the under-17 team, they should automatically move up to the under-19 team. You don’t just discard them and start over,” he added.
The 64-year-old coach called on Ghana to adopt a structured system similar to top European football countries, where there is a clear pathway for young players to transition smoothly into the senior team.
“What’s troubling the Black Stars? Why are we always searching for new players?” Zito questioned. “It’s because our junior teams aren’t consistently producing top talent, and that’s due to poor development structures. The media also plays a role—they focus on attacking coaches instead of supporting long-term growth. We’re too focused on immediate results, but success can’t come without strong foundations,” he emphasized.
Zito then turned his attention to the current Black Stars, asking a crucial question: “How many of our senior players actually came through the junior ranks?”