Former Ghana international Daniel Opare has warned that the Black Stars could continue to struggle for years if urgent measures are not taken to improve youth football development in the country.
Opare described the current state of Ghanaian football as a “joke,” expressing frustration over what he believes is inadequate investment in grassroots development and youth structures.
Speaking on TV3, the former Real Madrid defender said football authorities must rethink their approach to developing young talents if Ghana wants to produce quality players for the senior national team.
“I think we are playing a lot. It’s a joke. And when I say things like this, it really makes me angry to talk about it. And when you speak, they say you talk too much. But this is the truth. I’m telling them the Federation needs to do better,” he said.
Opare criticised the focus on what he described as excessive fixtures while developmental competitions and youth football programmes receive limited attention and resources.
The former Ghana U-20 World Cup winner stressed that rebuilding the Black Stars must begin with stronger investment in grassroots football, particularly Colts football, which has historically produced some of Ghana’s top talents.
“They need to encourage the Colts teams. They need to push the money there. They need to make sure that these young ones get the facilities for them to improve,” he stated.
According to Opare, the Ghana Football Association must provide the necessary financial support and infrastructure to help young players develop their abilities.
He warned that failure to strengthen the foundation of Ghanaian football could affect the future of the Black Stars due to a lack of quality players emerging from the domestic system.
“Otherwise, the Black Stars is going to keep on suffering, struggling for years to come because we are not going to get the product to supply. And that’s the truth,” he added.
His comments come after Ghana’s recent FIFA World Cup campaign ended at the Round of 32 stage following a narrow defeat to Colombia.
The Black Stars will now shift their focus to preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which begin in September.
