Mustapha Ussif revealed during his ministerial vetting the plans he has to improve the performances of Ghana in major football tournaments.

The last time the Black Stars hoisted a trophy was in the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) beating Libya on penalties.

Since then, the four-time winners of the AFCON have reached the final of the continental showpiece on three occasions, losing all three.

Sports minister-designate Ussif believes the country as a whole need to do some soul searching and devise strategies on how to reach the pinnacle of African football.

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“Our performance when it comes to football is something we have to look at as a country. What I have observed is that the preparations for tournaments are done in the year of the tournament. Given the opportunity by this house, I will engage the key stakeholders, the federations like GFA and NSA to see if we can have a plan.

“In 2000 when Germany went to the Euros and performed badly, they come around at roundtable to see how they can improve their football. So, the decision was to set up technical centres in their counties and to harness talent. In 2014, fourteen years on, Germany won the World Cup,” the 41-year-old added.

Currently, Ghana are ranked 52nd in the world and eighth in Africa. Ussif, a former Minister of Parliament for Yagaba-Kubori constituency is confident that winning trophies will help the country rise in the rankings.

 “Once we are winning trophies, it will help us improve on the national ranking”, he said.