Government investment can help restore Ghana football’s glory days, says Andre Ayew

Former Ghana captain Andre Ayew believes government investment could play a key role in restoring Ghanaian football to its former glory, insisting that proper planning and infrastructure development are essential for the sport’s growth.

Ayew pointed to the government’s reported allocation of GHS 1m to each Ghana Premier League club as evidence of its willingness to support the game.

Ghanaian football has faced growing concerns over the state of the domestic league, with questions raised about infrastructure, planning and the overall development of the sport.

However, Ayew believes there is an opportunity to reverse the situation if the government, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and other stakeholders work together towards a clear development strategy.

Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, hosted by former Chelsea and Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel, Ayew identified infrastructure and long-term planning as major areas requiring attention.

“The biggest issue is the infrastructure. So if we don't have the infrastructure, meaning that the planning is not right,” he said.

The former Swansea City and Marseille forward also questioned whether available resources were being used effectively, referring to FIFA’s development funding while stressing the need for greater coordination between football authorities and the government.

“But is the money there? So when we talk about the money, from what I know, from my information, we know that you have a FIFA Forward... What it is used... we don't know. That's not the matter,” he added.

Ayew argued that government involvement was crucial to any meaningful effort to improve the sport, pointing to previous financial support for clubs as a positive indication of its willingness to contribute.

“What I think is that with that money or not, we need as a country, or as a federation, to try to have the plan with governments and officials, because without the government, it's not possible,” he said.

“Already last year, the government gave, I think, each club, each Premier League club, $100,000 to start with, and that's a sign that the government wants to help.”

Ayew believes greater confidence in the management of football resources would encourage more investors to support the game.

“I believe that if everybody's confident that resources are going to be used the right way, I think a lot of people are going to invest in football,” he said.