Mahama calls for action to stop early exodus of Ghanaian football talent

President John Dramani Mahama has called for measures to prevent talented Ghanaian footballers from leaving the domestic league too early, warning that the continued loss of promising players is contributing to a decline in the standard of the Ghana Premier League.

Mahama made the comments on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, when Ampem Darkoa, Nations FC and Medeama SC paid a courtesy call at the Jubilee House following their qualification for the upcoming Confederation of African Football (CAF) inter-club competitions.

Addressing the clubs, the president expressed concern about the growing number of young players who move abroad soon after establishing themselves in the Ghanaian top flight.

He said clubs were losing their most promising players at a stage when they were beginning to attract attention from scouts, particularly from European teams.

“We are too quick to sell our players. As soon as a player begins to show promise, scouts take him away, mostly to Europe, and that depletes the quality of our local league,” Mahama said.

The president argued that the early departure of talented players makes it harder for domestic clubs to build strong and competitive squads over a sustained period.

He also warned that the trend could have wider implications for the development and appeal of Ghanaian domestic football, as clubs repeatedly lose key players just as they begin to establish themselves.

Ghana has traditionally been a major exporter of football talent, with players using the domestic league as a pathway to clubs in Europe and other parts of the world.

While transfers abroad can provide significant financial opportunities for both players and their clubs, Mahama believes the development process should strike a balance between those benefits and the need to strengthen the domestic competition.

His comments come amid continuing concerns over the quality, competitiveness and financial sustainability of the Ghana Premier League.

The president's call suggests a need for greater investment in the domestic game and structures that can allow promising players to develop for longer before making the move overseas.

For Ghanaian clubs, retaining key talents could also help improve the quality of the league, increase its appeal to supporters and strengthen the country's representatives in CAF competitions.