Sam George urges Black Stars be disbanded after Ghana's 4-2 home loss to The Gambia

Pinned summary · as of 16:14

Ghana let a two-goal advantage slip on Tuesday and lost 4-2 at home to The Gambia, in Accra, in the opening rounds of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The result has set off calls from politicians for radical change, led by Samuel Nartey George, who is both an MP for Ningo-Prampram and the minister responsible for communications. He wants the Black Stars disbanded and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) removed.

What we know

• The Gambia won 4-2 in Accra on Tuesday after Ghana had gone ahead 2-0 through goals from Ernest Nuamah and Felix Afena-Gyan.
• The setback followed a 2-0 defeat by Côte d'Ivoire in the opening Group C match, which leaves Ghana with no points from two qualifiers and at the foot of the group.
• Samuel Nartey George wants the national side broken up and the GFA sacked. He added that the country could live with FIFA suspending it for two years, using that period to build a better squad.
• Ernest Henry Norgbey, who chairs Parliament's Select Committee on Sports, said the committee intends to invite the GFA and the sports minister to explain what is going on in Ghana football.
• Mr Norgbey said a government decision to dissolve the GFA and begin afresh would not surprise him, and he pointed to Nigeria as a comparison. He stressed that he was not making that demand at this point.
• Seth Panwum, the NPP's spokesperson on sports and a former head of the National Sports Authority, urged the GFA president to resign. He also proposed a technical review of the Black Stars, an open assessment of how the team was prepared, firmer accountability inside the GFA and more money for youth and domestic football.
• Ghana did not qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The 2027 tournament is due to be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Ernest Thompson, a former member of the Black Stars Management Committee, told Graphic Online that dissolving the GFA could bring FIFA governance problems, and claimed that the committee held no meeting on who should be picked for the squad. His account has not been confirmed by the GFA or in other reports.
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  Graphic Online also quoted former Minister of Youth and Sports Nii Lante Vanderpuye as warning against tampering with the GFA and urging the current sports minister to convene past administrators to diagnose the problems.
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  Graphic Online reported that coach Carlos Queiroz took the blame for the loss and said sorry to fans; no other report carries this.
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  MyJoyOnline reported that Effia MP Isaac Boamah-Nyarko called for the GFA and the sports ministry to be dissolved and for the sports minister to lose his job. The call has not been reported elsewhere.
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  YEN.com.gh reported that Nana Romeo urged GFA president Kurt Okraku to resign; this has not been confirmed by other reports.
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  YEN.com.gh cited journalist Gary Al-Smith as saying the sports minister left the stadium around the 75th minute, with Ghana trailing 3-2. No other publication carries the claim.
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  Reports differ on the Gambian scorer of the late goals: Pulse Ghana names Omar Colley as completing a hat-trick, while YEN.com.gh and The Custodian credit Ebrima Colley.
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  Reports also differ on when Ghana meets Somalia in a double-header: Adom Online and The Custodian say October, while MyJoyOnline says November.
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  YEN.com.gh said this was The Gambia's first win over Ghana in 33 years and that Ghana have not won an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier since beating the Central African Republic in September 2023. It also noted that FIFA rules forbid government interference in national associations and that breaches can bring suspension. None of this has been confirmed by other reports.
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  The Custodian reported that Mr George said he has favoured disbanding the Black Stars since before 2024; this has not been confirmed elsewhere.

Why it matters for Ghana

Ghanaian supporters now face a qualifying campaign that has started with no points, and the team's next fixtures are against Somalia. The debate is also about who runs the national game: a government minister, an MP and an NPP spokesperson are all arguing over the GFA's future, while Parliament's committee prepares to question officials. Any step against the association would have consequences for players, coaches and clubs across the country.