Dreams FC head coach, Karim Zito believes the poor football development structure is the reason behind Black Stars’ recent horrendous performances.
The senior national team has churned out horrible results in recent times and after suffering back to back to Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) elimination in Cameroon and Ivory Coast, the team failed to qualify for the 35th edition of the continent’s most prestigious tournament which will be held in Morocco later this year after finishing at the bottom of its group with three points after six games.
The 64-year-old speaking in an interview insisted that Ghana must adopt a structured model similar to European football powerhouses, where national teams follow a clear progression system, allowing young players to transition seamlessly into the senior setup.
“What is troubling the Black Stars? Why are we always searching for new players?” Zito questioned during an interview with Graphic Sports.
“It’s because our junior teams are not producing top talent consistently, and that’s down to poor development structures.
“The media also plays a role—they keep attacking coaches instead of supporting long-term growth.
“We focus too much on instant results, but you can’t achieve success without first laying strong foundations,” he stressed.
Zito cited the example of Coach Sellas Tetteh’s Black Satellites team, who won the 2009 U-20 FIFA World Cup before forming the backbone of the Black Stars squad that finished runners-up in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with the likes of Andre Ayew, Samuel Inkoom and Jonathan Mensah featuring at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Turning his attention to the current Black Stars, he posed a crucial question: “How many of our senior players today actually came through the junior ranks?”
He urged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to prioritize a clear succession plan, ensuring a steady pipeline of talent to restore the country’s footballing dominance.
