Former Ebusua Dwarfs and Great Olympics head coach J.E. Sarpong has launched a scathing attack on the Ghana Football Association (GFA), alleging that corruption within the football governing body is contributing to the decline of Ghana football.

The veteran coach’s comments come in the aftermath of the Black Stars’ underwhelming campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Ghana exited the tournament at the Round of 32 stage after a narrow defeat to Colombia.

Sarpong believes the challenges facing Ghana football have reached a critical level and has called for government intervention to address what he describes as deep-rooted problems within the GFA.

According to the experienced tactician, drastic measures may be required to rebuild the national team, even suggesting that a potential FIFA ban could provide Ghana with the opportunity to restructure its football system.

“The corruption at the GFA is so much that if things don’t change, we won’t have any positive results,” the veteran Ghanaian trainer told Accra-based Atinka FM.

“I call on the government to intervene in the Black Stars and the GFA, so that FIFA can ban us and we can use those two years to build a better team,” Sarpong added.

The Black Stars returned to the World Cup stage after missing out on recent continental success, but their campaign in the expanded 48-team tournament ended earlier than many supporters had hoped.

Ghana began their Group L campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto, with Caleb Yirenkyi scoring a dramatic late winner to secure three points.

They followed that performance with a disciplined goalless draw against England before suffering a 2-1 defeat to Croatia in their final group fixture.

Despite finishing third in their group, Ghana advanced to the Round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams under the new World Cup format.

However, their knockout stage journey ended in Kansas City after Colombia secured a 1-0 win, with Jhon Arias scoring the only goal of the match.

Following the World Cup disappointment, focus has now shifted towards Ghana’s next major challenge — qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Black Stars have been placed in Group C alongside Ivory Coast, Gambia and Somalia as they begin their campaign to return to Africa’s premier football competition.