Kofi Manu, a seasoned football administrator, has questioned Kurt Okraku’s behavior with Black Stars players prior to this month’s pivotal 2025 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Sudan.
A day prior to the Black Stars’ match against Sudan at the Accra Sports Stadium, Okraku criticized the team, voicing doubts about the players’ dedication and zeal.
In an interview, Kofi Manu, however, maintained that Okraku erred by yelling at the players prior to the game.
Kurt Okraku erred by shouting and speaking to the players in such a way while the camera was on. He even went so far as to inform Alexander Djiku and Mohammed Kudus that Black Stars existed before them and would do so even after he retired.
Furthermore, I want to know if Kurt Okraku, the GFA’s president at the time Black Stars was established in 1957, was still alive. If you talk to players like that, how can you expect them to fight and suffer for their country?
“You don’t talk to players in that way twenty-four hours before a game that important. I think he should have apologized to the players for yelling at them. But because he was too shy to go with the team to Libya, he went to Germany to watch the Black Satellites play Germany in a friendly match that resulted in a crushing loss.
For the first time since 2004, the West African superpower is in danger of missing out on qualifying for the CAF’s premier event after losing to Sudan in the doubleheader.
The Black Stars lost to their opponent 2-0 in the Benina Martyrs Stadium in Libya after playing to a 0-0 draw at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Next month (November), the four-time AFCON champions will play again when they take on Angola and Niger in the last group F matches.
To maintain their hopes of competing in the Morocco tournament the following year, Ghana must now win their remaining matches against Angola and Niger, who have already qualified, and hope that Sudan loses to these same opponents.
