The team’s dismal campaign ended with a 2-1 defeat to Niger at the Accra Sports Stadium, marking the first time in two decades that Ghana has failed to secure a spot at AFCON.
The Black Stars’ qualifiers ended with three draws and three losses from six games, a performance that has fuelled growing dissatisfaction with the current leadership of GFA President Kurt Okraku.
Grusah criticised the state of Ghanaian football under Okraku’s administration and dismissed fears of FIFA sanctions should the government intervene.
“I’m calling on President Akufo-Addo and the Sports Minister to dissolve the Ghana Football Association. FIFA will not sanction Ghana for that,” Grusah stated.
The experienced administrator also expressed his willingness to support any effort to remove Kurt Okraku from office, adding, “I will gladly accept and be involved in any attempt to take Kurt out of power."
Kurt Okraku’s reaction
In response to the Black Stars’ shocking exit, GFA President Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku acknowledged the disappointment and called for unity in addressing the challenges.
“From the highest heights of world football on the 29th of March 2022 to the lowest ebb of AFCON qualifying matches. Definitely, this is not what we want or what we bargained for,” Okraku said.
He added, “At this point, only cool heads can win. As leaders of our sport, we will stay together, be honest with ourselves, and fix this problem. The road to full recovery after normalisation is bumpy and rough, but our collective efforts and patience will prevail. Ghana will win again."
The GFA’s leadership and the government face mounting pressure to address the structural and technical failings that have plagued Ghanaian football in recent years.