President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku, has expressed his desire to lead the country to win major international titles, including the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the FIFA World Cup during his tenure of office.
Speaking to the media in Kumasi, Okraku reaffirmed his commitment to leaving a lasting legacy in Ghanaian football by ensuring that the Black Stars of Ghana win every competition they feature in.
Okraku’s statements or comments come in the wake of the Black Stars’ recent disappointing performance at the ongoing and previous AFCON tournaments and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where they were eliminated in the group stages without a win.
“I want to win the AFCON; I want to win the World Cup!” Okraku declared. “I want to win every competition Ghana finds itself in. This is the collective belief and mindset of my fellow Executive Council members.”
The FA president also promised to upgrade the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram.
“I want to position the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence very well and make it an enviable international standard,” he said.
Nevertheless, he remains confident that the team can overcome these challenges and achieve success under his guidance.
In addition, Kurt Okraku emphasized the need for a collective effort to improve Ghanaian football.
“We need the collective effort of all and sundry,” Okraku said. “We take responsibility as leaders of the association, but we will count on the collective ideas to continue to transform the sport. The FA is very much committed to bringing back the lost glory and the passion of our people. All our publics must stand shoulder to shoulder with us. In good times and in bad times, we are ready to listen to the other minds. We have to let people speak to us and tell us what they think.”
The GFA have therefore revealed plans to launch a 4-year strategy called the Men’s Football Strategy, which is an extension of the GFA Football DNA.
This strategy has already been successfully implemented for women’s football, resulting in Ghana’s splendid recent performances on the international stage, most notably qualifying for the Women’s AFCON for the first time since 2018.
Story by Asack Pius