A former minister of youth and sports has underlined the need for players who receive the call-up to join the senior men's national team, the Black Stars, to regard the opportunity as a most noble privilege to be cherished.

He said with this mentality, players would play with their hearts and strength, justifying their inclusion in the enviable list.

Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah spoke to Channel One TV.

His comments follow Ghana’s very poor performance during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, failing to qualify for the tournament happening in Morocco – the first time in 20 years.

The Ghana Football Association has in response scrapped the Black Stars management committee, and is yet to announce its decision on whether or not to sack the team’s coach, Otto Addo.

“We must get them to understand that being called up to play for the national team is an honour. They should be ready to give their all, even for little or no financial reward. That said, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t reward them,” Mr Afriyie Ankrah asserted.

He said the Black Stars’ revival and success were to be correctly viewed as a collective responsibility for all stakeholders, leaders or otherwise.

“The GFA has a role to play, the team has a role to play, and the technical bench has a role to play,” the former minister said.

The Black Stars currently must give their time and attention to redeeming their image during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. They face Chad and Madagascar in March 2025.