Kurt Okraku
President of the Ghana Football Association, Kurt Okraku, has restated his determination to deliver an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title for Ghana, describing continental success as both a personal mission and a national objective.
Ghana are four-time African champions but have not won the AFCON trophy since 1982. The senior national football team have come close on several occasions in recent history, finishing as runners-up in 1992, 2010 and 2015, yet the title has remained out of reach.
Since taking office in 2019, Okraku has supervised campaigns marked by mixed fortunes for the senior national side.
Ghana exited at the group stage in both the 2021 tournament in Cameroon and the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast.
The team also failed to qualify for the most recent AFCON tournament in Morocco after going through the qualifiers without a single win.
Despite those disappointments, Okraku says his ambition to see Ghana crowned African champions has not diminished.
In an interview with Asaase Radio, he emphasised his resolve to restore the country’s status at the top of African football.
He noted that while AFCON success with the Black Stars remains the ultimate target, progress has been made at other national team levels.
Ghana’s U-20 side has won an AFCON title, the senior women’s team secured bronze at the Women’s AFCON, and the Black Starlets have returned to continental competition after several years away.
He also highlighted the consistent presence of the Black Princesses at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers in recent cycles.
Okraku added that his broader vision is to see Ghana competing for medals in every major tournament and maintaining a strong presence across all age categories.
Meanwhile, the Black Stars are preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
BY Wletsu Ransford