“Decide to die for Ghana or never be selected” – Kurt Okraku tells Black Stars ahead of Sudan clash

President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku voiced his frustration with the Black Stars players following their disappointing start to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. 

He spoke to the players on Tuesday ahead of their matches against Sudan, openly criticizing their lackluster performances in the opening games.

The team earned just one point from a possible six, suffering a 1-0 defeat to Angola and managing only a 1-1 draw against Niger in their first two matches.

These results left Ghana in third place in Group F and caused them to drop six spots in the latest FIFA World Rankings, falling from 64th to 70th.

In a passionate address to the players at their hotel on Tuesday, the GFA President urged the squad to improve their performance or risk losing their place on the team.

"It is either you are with this family or you are out of this family. It is simple and because me, I swear by my life, if you are out of this family, Ghana will never be represented by ten men, never, it will be 11 on the pitch," he said.

“Somebody played before you, it is time for you to play and somebody will also play after you. In your time, if you don’t grab the opportunity, somebody is looking for the opportunity to play.”

“The minimum I expect, the minimum Ghana expects is a team of boys or men who will show passion and desire to play for our country. Not when you are dribbled and you will be seen walking on the pitch and the ball is heading towards your net. That is impossible, I told the coach."

Ghana FA Boss to 🇬🇭Black Stars🗣🗣

"It's either you decide to die for Ghana or not - if you won't, you'll never be selected." pic.twitter.com/b3HjTDRNCq

— George Addo Jnr (@addojunr) October 9, 2024