Hearts of Oak interim management committee lead administrator Vincent Sowah Odotei blames the decline of Ghanaian football on decades of administrative failure, with the Black Stars on zero points.
Vincent Sowah Odotei, former chief executive of Hearts of Oak and lead administrator of its interim committee, believes Ghanaian football’s decline stems first and foremost from the way it has been run. According to Kickoff Ghana, relayed by Ghana Headlines, he identifies “decades of bad leadership” as the root of the problem.
His comments come as the Black Stars sit bottom of Group C with no points after two defeats: a 2-0 loss in Ivory Coast and a 4-2 defeat in Accra against Gambia, according to Afroballers.
“Attracting the right people”
Vincent Sowah Odotei does not limit his analysis to the pitch. He points to the lack of sustainable structures to develop the game and the failure to attract the right people into administration, according to Kickoff Ghana.
In a phrase translated from English and attributed to the same outlet, he sums up: “The level of degradation is so high. It’s decades of bad leadership. We haven’t been able to attract the right people into administration.”
Infrastructure, tactics and preparation
The official also lists the concrete shortfalls: shortcomings in infrastructure, tactics and physical preparation, and the absence of teams structured around a long-term strategy, Kickoff Ghana reports.
“We don’t have the facilities; we don’t have tactical and physical infrastructure. We don’t have well-structured teams, driven by a strategy, looking at the long term. We are where we are because of decades of bad leadership,” he said, again as quoted by Kickoff Ghana.
A complete overhaul of administration
For Vincent Sowah Odotei, the way out of the crisis lies in a complete overhaul of Ghanaian football’s administration. He lists regulation, organisation, scheduling and the training of local coaches among the priorities, according to Kickoff Ghana.
On the sporting side, Ghana face Somalia twice in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, with the first match at home taking place on Thursday, according to the report. The Black Stars will have to do it with zero points in Group C.