Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) Communications Director Ibrahim Sannie Daara believes the Black Stars’ recent struggles are partly due to the absence of Ghanaian players at some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
The senior national team has endured a difficult period in recent years, culminating in its failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Speaking on TV3 on Monday, Sannie compared the current generation of players to the squad that reached the quarter-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, arguing that many of Ghana’s leading stars were then competing at the highest level of European football.
“When you look at it, at the time when Ghana was really, really at the top, 2010, look at our players and the teams they were playing for,” he said.
Sannie highlighted former midfielder Sulley Muntari, who won the UEFA Champions League and Serie A title with Inter Milan, while Kevin-Prince Boateng was playing for AC Milan.
He also pointed to Andre Ayew’s time at French side Marseille, where the midfielder featured regularly in the Champions League.
“Even Andre Ayew was at Marseille, playing in the Champions League. He was among the youngest in the team,” Sannie said.
The CAF Senior Media Officer believes Ghana no longer has the same level of representation among Europe’s elite clubs, a factor he says has weakened the team’s standing on the international stage.
“All of them were playing for top, top, top teams all over the place,” he added.
According to Sannie, the profile of players at club level can influence how opponents approach international matches.
“When you play ordinarily, people will see you as an ordinary player. But if you come with a big name, your opponents will fear you. There’s no fear factor anymore,” he said.
“Why? Because how many of our players are playing for big teams now?”
The Black Stars will regroup later this month to begin their campaign for qualification to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations after reaching the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2010.
Carlos Queiroz’s side will travel to Bouaké to face Côte d’Ivoire at the Stade de la Paix on September 24 before returning home to host The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium three days later.
Four-time African champions Ghana will be hoping to secure a return to the continental finals after missing out on the previous edition, a setback widely regarded as one of the country’s biggest football disappointments in recent years.
