Former GFA Vice-President George Afriyie blames GFA President Kurt Simeon-Okraku for the Black Stars’ failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. 
Speaking to Sports Tribune, Afriyie condemned Simeon-Okraku’s leadership style, suggesting the FA functions more like a private club than a national entity.
Afriyie blamed the Black Stars’ recent downturn on one person, stating, “He is the main problem.” 
He accused the GFA President of ignoring advice, arguing that his leadership had undermined transparency and professionalism in running Ghana’s top football team.
According to Afriyie, the Black Stars are a unifying force for Ghanaians, representing a common ground beyond political, tribal, and religious differences. 
“The Black Stars of Ghana is the number one sporting brand in our country… it is one thing that unifies us, so if you are the head of the FA, that kind of single brand, you don’t need to joke with it, but I think that Kurt is running the FA as if his personal Dreams FC,” he emphasized. 
The former vice-president denounced the GFA’s exclusionary decision-making, alleging that someone kept the Executive Council in the dark about significant developments, such as Mohammed Kudus’ brief captaincy.
“These current executives, sometimes you ask them (about things happening in the FA), and they say they are not aware. I can tell you that Executive Council and the Black Star Management Committee members didn’t even know how Kudus became captain for a single match,” he alleged.
Afriyie criticized the player selection process, accusing it of favoritism and ignoring deserving players. He used Musah Mohammed, a key player for Bodrumspor in the Turkish Super Lig, as an example. Mohammed, a consistently strong defensive midfielder and center-back performer, has been overlooked despite his impressive displays.
“They went to Sweden to pick a player, but they don’t know that there’s a player, Musah Mohammed, who is a regular in the Turkish Super Lig,” Afriyie said, adding: “It shows that what they are doing is serving someone’s interest and not Ghana’s interest.”
“It will be difficult for anybody to tell me they don’t know that Musah Mohammed of Bodrumspor is a regular player in the Turkish Super Lig, an outstanding defensive midfielder, and a center-back,” he said.
Comparing the current approach to the previous one, the former GFA Vice-President pointed out the past practice of using a video analyst to track Ghanaian players abroad, and weekly updates were sent to ensure selectors were aware of top performers.
Afriyie called out the GFA’s administration for its lack of accountability, emphasizing a disconnect between executives and the national team’s operations.
Executives such as Randy Abbey, the late Jordan Anagbla, and Fred Pappoe have openly offered guidance and correction to Kwesi Nyantakyi when he erred. “It’s missing now,” he observed.