On February 14, 2024, gospel musicians Great Ampong and Nicolas Omane Acheampong participated in the protest against the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
Great Ampong underlined the mutually beneficial relationship between sports and music amid cheers and placards, pointing out that football players frequently find motivation in music.
He bemoaned the current situation in Ghanaian football, highlighting issues with the national team’s selection procedure as well as the Black Stars’ general play.
Great Ampong stated, “Sports flows with music, which is why most athletes listen to music ahead of their games to motivate themselves,” in an interview with Kulenu Joshua of Adom News. This is an additional justification for Ghana’s “jama” groups, which support players during competitions like the AFCON.”
The Ghanaian men’s team can no longer outscore women’s football teams, nevertheless. The singer said, “Kurt Okraku, the President of the GFA, chooses players from roughly five teams, which is decimating the Black Stars team.
Nicolas Omane Acheampong, a fellow gospel musician, joined Great Ampong.
Omane Acheampong stated, “We are calling on Ghana’s government to order an investigation to find out what is the problem because many Ghanaians believe it is Akufo-Addo who has destroyed Ghana Football, but we know very well that it is Kurt Okraku and his administration that is causing us.”
Leading the protest were sports writers Patrick Osei Agyemang, Veronica Commey, and Saddick Adams, also referred to as Sports Obama. The group marched through Asylum Down, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, and finally to the Ghana Football Association offices.
The senior national team, the Black Stars, produced a dismal showing at the 34th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in the Ivory Coast, which sparked the protest.
