Ghana’s Sporting Glory Fading – John Mahama
President Mahama laments Ghana’s sporting decline, citing administrative failures, poor funding, and lack of talent development as key reasons for the nation’s fall from glory.
- Ghana’s sports sector, once dominant, is struggling on the global stage
- The Black Stars missed AFCON 2025 qualification for the first time in 20 years
- Mahama urges urgent changes in administration, funding, and talent development
Ghana’s once-thriving sports industry is now a shadow of its former self, President John Dramani Mahama has lamented, acknowledging the country’s struggles on the global stage during his State of the Nation Address.
Once a powerhouse in African sports—boasting Olympic medals, boxing titles, track and field dominance, and a formidable football legacy—Ghana’s sporting excellence has faded, culminating in the recent heartbreak of missing out on the 2025 African Cup of Nations for the first time in 20 years.
President Mahama didn’t mince words about the dire state of affairs, stressing the urgent need for reforms.
“Ghana’s sports sector, once a shining beacon of African excellence, now finds itself at a critical juncture. Historically, our nation has excelled in boxing, football, and athletics, but unfortunately, this is no longer the case,” he stated in Parliament on Thursday, February 27.
He pointed to deep-rooted structural deficiencies in administration, funding, infrastructure, and talent development as key factors behind the decline, emphasizing that immediate and comprehensive reforms are the only way forward.
Ghana’s football woes have been particularly painful. Since 2018, the Black Stars have been in freefall, failing to progress beyond the group stages in the last two AFCON tournaments (2021 and 2023) and now suffering the humiliation of missing out on the 2025 edition entirely.
As the nation sets its sights on the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Mahama’s rallying cry underscores the need for a radical transformation to restore Ghana’s lost glory in sports.
