Chief blames Neglect of Inter-School Games for dying Ghana football

The Chief of Kwasu, a farming community near Bechem in the Tano South Municipality of Ahafo region, Nana Fosu Boadi Amponem, is blaming the fall of Ghana football on the neglect of inter-school games in local schools in the country.

According to Nana Fosu Boadi Amponem, the government and Ministry of Youth and Sports should focus on inter-school games activities in the country, especially in the rural communities. 
There are lots of talents in the local communities whom when groomed can take over Ghana football as compared to the previous regime and make an impact an interview with Soiree news, Nana uses the opportunity to deplore over the unprecedented Black Stars performance on the ongoing 2021 Africa Cup of Nation in Cameroon which became a topic of discussion in the country.
“Am calling on the government to rescue the country football situation as Ghana is known to be a football nation”, he stressed.

He added that the current Black Stars players are in for money and not for the passion of the game as it used to be some years ago with the old players who sacrificed to win trophies for the country”.
He, therefore, tasked the ministry of youth and sports, the government to reconsider bringing the Black Stars back to its age of performance to redeemed the shame the team recently brought to Ghana during their early exit in the 2021 AFCON.
The four-time African champions suffered an unlikely group stage exit from the competition after failing to win any of their three games in Cameroon. The decade-long progress that they have enjoyed has come to an end.
It was a sad end to a promising tournament for Ghana's captain, Andre Ayew, as he was sent off in their 3-2 defeat to Comoros at the Roumdjé Adjia Stadium in Garoua.
The illustrious Ayew was shown a straight red after clattering into Comorian goalkeeper Salim Ben Boina in the first half of the game.
After picking just a point in their first two matches, the Black Stars needed a win to stand a chance of making it into the last 16 as one of the four best third-placed teams. But they found the Coelocanths too slippery an opponent.

The debutants scored their first-ever AFCON goal through El Fardou Ben Nabouhane early on in the fourth minute and held on for a famous victory.

A little more than a decade after winning the FIFA U20 World Cup and reaching the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Ghanaian football dreams were left shattered on the field of Garoua.
Rajevac's magic runs out

Like many of the teams at the AFCON, Ghana changed its coach three months before the tournament.

Serbian trainer Milvan Rajevac was brought back to stave the dwindling fortunes of the team as they were struggling in their 2022 World Cup qualifying group.

Rajevac, the man who led the Stars to their quarter-final finish at the World Cup in 2010, was quickly able to steady the boat and ensured that they topped their group ahead of South Africa to reach the final play-off stage.
But his magic was not enough when they came to the AFCON. They lost their opening Group C game 1-0 to a late Morocco winner.

The next game against Gabon was thrown into late drama as they conceded a late equalizer after putting out the ball for an injured opponent to receive medical attention.

So all hope was put into winning the final game against the Comorians who only qualified for their first AFCON this year.

The Black Stars were shocked by the early goal and lost Ayew shortly afterward. The Comorians scored a second before Ghana fought back to make it 2-2. A late tap-in by Ahmed Magni for his second of the night dealt the final blow for Ghana who was among the favorites for the title.
They will return to Accra with the hopes of saving their World Cup chances and Rajevac's future under scrutiny.