Kudjoe Fianoo has called for Ghana to adopt a long-term football development plan to achieve sustainable success. The former Ghana League Clubs Association chairman believes strategic planning is the only way to revive the national team's fortunes, which have faltered recently as reflected in the team's current standings in their qualifying group.

Fianoo pointed to the late Ghana Football Association president Ben Koufie as a prime example. "The late Ben Koufie, may his soul rest in peace, when he came, he drew a five-year development plan," Fianoo said. "And that helped in our qualification for the first time." That plan culminated in Ghana's historic first qualification for the FIFA World Cup in Germany in 2006.

Proof from club level

His conviction is backed by personal experience from his time as chief executive officer of AshantiGold in Obuasi. He engaged an expert to draft a four-year plan for the club. "In that plan, I was told that if I should follow the plan, I'll win the league," Fianoo recalled. The prediction proved accurate. In the fourth year, AshantiGold topped the table from the second week and never relinquished the lead, finishing the campaign six points clear to win the Ghana Premier League. He argues such careful planning is needed across the entire national squad structure.

Current Black Stars context

This call for a strategic overhaul comes as Ghana seeks to reset its 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign. The Black Stars suffered defeats in their opening two Group C fixtures against Ivory Coast and The Gambia. The Ghana Football Association has confirmed an interim technical team will oversee the upcoming two-legged qualifier against Somalia in November, with names like Kim Lars Björkegren, Godwin Attram and Ibrahim Tanko expected to be involved, though appointments are not yet official. The first leg of that key tie is scheduled for November 18, 2024, a key date in the team's fixtures.

The search for a substantive head coach continues. Fianoo's argument is that beyond immediate results, a coherent, multi-year vision is required to restore the team's competitive edge, much like the frameworks that delivered past glory. He emphasized that this plan must address all levels, from youth development to the senior team's tactical approach, to build a side capable of consistent high performance.

Read the full report at Modern Ghana