Emmanuel Osei Sarpong calls for long-term planning in Ghana sports

The Acting Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Prof. Emmanuel Osei Sarpong, has identified a lack of long-term planning as the primary obstacle to the success of Ghanaian sports. Speaking on the current state of national athletics and football, Prof. Sarpong emphasized that structural reforms are necessary to move beyond a reliance on high-profile coaching appointments. He argued that the focus should instead shift toward the systematic nurturing of young talent from a foundational level to ensure sustainable success on the international stage.

Prof. Sarpong pointed to the recent struggles of various national teams, specifically citing the male and female U-17 football teams, which have faced significant hurdles in continental and global competitions. He suggested that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) needs internal structural adjustments to prioritize development over immediate results. According to the NSA boss, the current approach of hiring top-tier coaches is often a short-term fix that fails to address the underlying issues of talent progression and technical consistency within the Ghanaian sporting ecosystem.

A key component of his proposal is the establishment of a dedicated talent identification and development system. Prof. Sarpong advocated for a model where promising athletes are identified as early as age 12. These young prospects would then be enrolled in a rigorous, long-term program designed to refine their skills and physical conditioning over a six-year period. By the time these athletes reach age 18, he believes they would be technically and mentally prepared to compete at the highest international levels, filling the gap currently left by ad-hoc recruitment processes.

Beyond talent identification, the NSA chief also highlighted the importance of investing in local technical expertise. He urged for a renewed focus on developing Ghanaian coaches who can oversee these long-term programs. By aligning coaching education with a national development strategy, Sarpong believes Ghana can build a more resilient sports infrastructure. The call comes at a time of public debate regarding the performance of Ghana’s national teams and the effectiveness of current sports administration policies.