Kofi Adams warns GFA foreign talent cannot mask domestic flaws

Ghana’s Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, has warned the Ghana Football Association against treating foreign-based players as a substitute for a stronger domestic football system. He said the quality of Ghana’s national teams should be supported by the health of football at home.

Adams made the remarks on Thursday, August 20, 2026, while serving as the special guest of honour at the GFA’s 32nd Ordinary Congress. The meeting was held at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram, where football officials and other stakeholders reviewed developments in the country’s game and discussed its future direction.

The minister recognised the achievements of Ghanaians playing outside the country but said those successes should not hide weaknesses in the local structure. Ghana has continued to depend heavily on players based abroad for its senior national team, making the development of domestic football a central issue for the association and other stakeholders.

Adams said a productive league should offer more than a pathway for players. In his view, it should also develop coaches, referees and administrators while improving football knowledge, commercial opportunities and the overall appeal of the sport. Those functions, he argued, would give Ghanaian football a broader and more sustainable foundation.

He linked that foundation directly to the national teams and the wider football industry. A stronger domestic environment would improve the supply of talent and football professionals while creating better conditions for the game to grow within Ghana.

The minister therefore called on the GFA to give greater priority to the local game. His message to the association was that Ghana’s overseas-based players should be celebrated, but their contribution must not become a reason to overlook shortcomings in the country’s own football ecosystem.