GFA must a criteria for selecting national team captains - Francis Oti Akenteng

Former Technical Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Francis Oti Akenteng, has called on the GFA to establish a criterion for appointing captains of the national teams.

His call comes in light of Otto Addo’s decision to overlook Jordan Ayew and name Mohammed Kudus as the skipper for the senior national team ahead of the doubleheader against Sudan in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers in the absence of Thomas Partey.

The decision attracted multiple criticisms after the Black Stars were held in the first leg before losing the return leg.

However, in the final round of games against Angola and Niger, Jordan Ayew was named as the captain of the team but failed to lead the side to record positive results.

Similarly, the Black Galaxies under coach Didi Dramani reportedly faced internal issues with their captaincy ahead of their 2024 CHAN playoffs against Nigeria.

With such issues plaguing the leadership roles within the national teams, Akenteng believes it is crucial for the GFA to set clear guidelines to avoid future complications.

“I think the Ghana Football Association should sit down and come out with laid-down criteria that will be used in appointing national team captains,” he told Asempa FM.

“Usually, when a new coach comes in, he is unsure whether to maintain the old captain or appoint a new one and when he does, problems arise, even though there is some sort of criteria,” Akenteng added.