Prof. Emmanuel Osei SarpongActing Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Prof. Emmanuel Osei Sarpong, says Ghana must prioritise long-term planning, infrastructure and athlete development rather than rely solely on high-profile coaching appointments to address its sporting challenges.His comments come amid growing concerns over Ghanas sporting performance, particularly football, following disappointing results by the mens and womens national teams and renewed questions about administration, tactical direction and player development.The Black Stars have faced intense scrutiny after losing 2-0 to Ivory Coast and 4-2 to The Gambia in their opening matches of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.The defeats have fuelled calls for changes within the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and prompted further debate about the countrys approach to developing football talent.Speaking to Citi Sports, Prof. Osei Sarpong argued that Ghanas challenges extend beyond coaching appointments, pointing to inadequate long-term planning, poor coordination among sports institutions and insufficient investment in athlete development.Our problem with Ghana sports, not football alone, has been long-term planning, long-term development of athletes, he said.He called for closer collaboration between the NSA, the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) and sports federations to establish a coordinated system for identifying and nurturing young talent.Prof. Osei Sarpong questioned whether Ghana had sustainable plans to develop promising athletes, stressing that talent identification must be backed by consistent funding, structured training programmes and access to suitable facilities.He proposed identifying talented athletes at the age of 12 and placing them on a six-year development programme to prepare them for elite competition by the age of 18.The NSA boss also challenged Ghanas reliance on foreign expertise, particularly in football, arguing that some of the resources used to recruit foreign professionals could instead be invested in developing local coaches and sports specialists.As we speak now, there is no Ghanaian who is qualified as a fitness trainer, strength and conditioning coach, specifically for football, he said.Why cant you use that money to develop some coaches in Ghana so that they will become multipliers of their knowledge?He maintained that sustainable sports development required investment in infrastructure, training resources and long-term programmes capable of producing a steady supply of athletes and qualified technical personnel.Prof. Osei Sarpong described the establishment of the Grassroots Sports Secretariat as an important step towards creating a structured framework for identifying and developing talent across the country.He also cited Frances National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance (INSEP), which he visited in September to study its athlete development model.The institute trains elite French athletes and attracts competitors from other countries, providing a potential model for Ghana as it seeks to strengthen its own sports development system.Prof. Osei Sarpong believes adopting a more coordinated and sustained approach would help Ghana build a stronger sporting foundation, rather than depending on high-profile appointments to deliver immediate results.
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