Kurt Okraku Hits Back at Manhyia South MP Over GFA Criticism
Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku has responded to criticism from Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah over the management and direction of the Black Stars and Ghana football.
The MP questioned the association’s squad selection process ahead of Ghana’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, particularly the late inclusion of Jonas Adjetey and Brandon Thomas-Asante after several players withdrew from the squad.
“I’m very surprised at the way the GFA is handling our football,” the Manhyia South MP said.
“You didn’t call him. When other players withdrew, then you called him. Brandon Thomas Asante, you didn’t call him. When other players withdrew, you called him.”
His comments came after several members of Carlos Queiroz’s original squad became unavailable for the upcoming fixtures, forcing changes to the team preparing for the AFCON qualifying campaign.
Awuah argued that the issue goes beyond individual player selections, insisting that Ghana needs a structured plan for developing the Black Stars over the medium and long term.
“You come from the World Cup, there is no plan to develop the team for the medium to long term,” he said.
“You are quickly putting together players to come and then play for the qualifiers.”
The MP also questioned why Ghana had not established a stronger succession pathway from the junior national teams to the senior side.
Okraku Challenges MP’s Understanding
Okraku, however, dismissed the criticism and suggested that Awuah did not have sufficient information about the circumstances surrounding the national team.
“You don’t know what is happening in football,” the GFA president said.
Rather than publicly questioning the association’s decisions, Okraku said the MP could have sought clarification directly from the GFA.
“He could have called to find out what is happening and we’d provide him with the answers he needs,” he added.
Okraku also turned the discussion towards football infrastructure and grassroots development in the MP’s constituency, arguing that there are local issues requiring attention.
“He should focus on his constituency because there are things that might not be going well, things like bad astro turfs, youth unemployment,” Okraku said.
“People including colt clubs have to pay huge sums to get access to pitches to play football. That’s what he should focus on.”
Awuah’s criticism was also rooted in what he described as the absence of a clear succession plan for the Black Stars.
He cited the generation of players that emerged from Ghana’s successful youth teams and eventually became key members of the senior national team.
“If you look at how Ben Kofi did it, it was the team that played at the 1999 or 2001 World Youth Championship. The Sulley Muntari group, the Essien group, that progressed to that level,” he said.
He further argued that Ghana’s difficulties at youth level have affected the country’s ability to consistently produce players for the senior national team.
“Following that, we have not been doing well at the junior level. We are not doing well with under-17s. We are not doing well with under-21s. We are not doing well at under-23s.”
The debate comes as Ghana prepares for two crucial AFCON qualifiers, with the Black Stars set to travel to Bouaké to face Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday, September 24.
Ghana will then return home to host The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, September 29.
The preparation for the matches has been complicated by several player withdrawals, including Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, Jordan Ayew, Jan Gyamerah, Abdul Baba Rahman and Alidu Seidu.
Those withdrawals have resulted in changes to Queiroz’s squad, including the inclusion of Adjetey and Thomas-Asante, the very selections that prompted Awuah’s criticism.
The disagreement between the MP and the GFA president therefore comes at a sensitive point for the Black Stars, with attention now shifting from the debate over squad selection to Ghana’s performance in the opening AFCON qualifying fixtures.