In an interview with Asempa FM’s Sports Minister, Abdul Salam voiced his concerns about the lack of progress in Ghana football under President Akufo-Addo’s administration and emphasized the need for the new government to take a different approach.

He stressed that the growth of football in the country largely depends on a visionary and dedicated Sports Minister.

As a result, he urged Mahama to appoint someone with the expertise and authority to guide the sport toward success.

“The current government appointed two sports ministers in eight years. What have they done? We need a sports minister who is very serious and can take our football to a different level,” Abdul Salam said.

Recent years have been difficult for football in Ghana, with the Black Stars failing to make an impact in major tournaments.

Most notably, for the first time in 20 years, the team failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after finishing at the bottom of Group F with just three points from six matches.

The team’s poor performance included three losses and three draws against Sudan, Niger, and Angola.

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His remarks comes after the NPP suffered a defeat in the recently concluded 2024 general elections.

Speaking to Asempa FM’s Sports Nite, Yakubu expressed frustration over the state of sports in the country, blaming successive Sports Ministers under the NPP for failing to address critical challenges.

“Our sports have declined over the years,” he said. “The sports ministers under the regime of the NPP government did not help Ghana sports.”

Yakubu also criticized the government’s management of football, accusing them of allowing the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to exploit their tenure.

“A lot of bad things happened under their tenure,” Yakubu said.

His remarks echo the growing dissatisfaction among many Ghanaians regarding the NPP’s approach to sports development.

With the National Democratic Congress (NDC) now set to lead the country, there is widespread anticipation for a new era in Ghanaian sports.

Fans and stakeholders alike hope for improved policies and stronger support for the sector, especially after the Black Stars’ repeated failures to advance beyond the group stage in major international tournaments.

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“This weekend, some club presidents on our platform in the Division One League were not happy about the new football pyramid,” he told Asempa FM on the Ultimate Sports Show.

“Some were angry and others were ignorant of the information on the proposal raised by the congress until this weekend,” he added.

He later raised concern about the new national league due to lack of sponsorship in the Premier League.

The vociferous football administrator criticised the new football pyramid proposed by the FA for next season in the Ghana Premier League.

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 “The new national league is not my problem because it can help the clubs gain strong support but which money will be used to play the regional and national league?

“This is the second season that the Premier League has not attracted any sponsorship for clubs to help fund the league. But when I asked about how the FA will fund us (Division One League) I was told the FA will get sponsorships for the National League when the new football paradigm starts,” he said. 

He later clarified that this issue of sponsorship can lead to a lot of problems for the clubs if officials do not attend before they start the National Division One League. 

“The committee must meet us to explain how to fund the National Division League before it is implemented,” he said.

According to Abdul Salam Yakubu, who says he accepts the decision with his club, most clubs don’t respect and practice playing behind closed doors.

He said that the directive has been flouted by clubs and supporters have always been patronising games under the shield of home teams.

“Which venue played behind closed doors? Every Division 1 match I have watched has full capacity stadium.The home team admits so many fans and says they are journalists. The stadium gets full just after 30 minutes of play,” Abdul Salam Yakubu told Nhyira Power Sports.

The Ghana Football Association anticipated fans back into match venues to witness games after training match stewards who were going to ensure observance of COVID-19 protocols but rescinded their decision after consultations with government agencies.

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The experienced administrator wants the decision to be reverted to enable football clubs generate some money from the gates by making fans return to the stadium.

“I already play in an empty stadium so this decision does not affect me so much. I have nothing to lose but the clubs with fans always have full capacity stadium. In my opinion, we must allow the clubs to take their gate fees because if I was playing at New Edubiase, I would have allowed fans to generate money.

“We must allow the clubs to admit fans and get some money to support their clubs. This decision will not help anyone,” he added.