Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has firmly denied allegations that the GFA interferes in national team coaches' decisions, particularly in player selections.
This follows criticism from fans and groups like Save Ghana Football, which protested after the Black Stars' early exit from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.
Okraku addressed the issue during a Parliamentary Select Committee hearing on Monday, clarifying that the GFA creates an environment where coaches are free to work without interference. "They [national team coaches] have made public statements not once, not twice about the environment this FA has created to enable them to work," Okraku said.
He highlighted that Otto Addo, former head coach of the Black Stars, has openly expressed appreciation for the freedom given by the GFA to manage the team on his own terms. "Coach Addo has said on platforms that one of the key reasons he accepted to come back is the fact that he is allowed to do the work the way he wants to work." Okraku stressed that player selection, including for teams like the Black Stars and Black Queens, is solely the responsibility of the technical teams. "Players representing Ghana are solely selected by the technical teams of our national teams," he said, dismissing claims of influence.