Former Hearts of Oak management member, Abdul Aziz Haruna Futa, believes that the Black Stars are facing challenges due to the poor performance of Ghana Premier League clubs.

He pointed out that the disappointing displays of the two major clubs, Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak, in the local league have negatively affected the Black Stars.

Haruna Futa emphasised that if these teams were doing well, their players could have been selected for the national team, leading to better results.

During an interview with Happy FM, Haruna Futa urged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to implement measures that would improve the quality of the local league and provide the Black Stars with talented players.

"Kotoko winning four matches in a row while Hearts of Oak initially struggled indicates that something is amiss. We cannot ignore the decline of these two major clubs, which is why the Black Stars are facing challenges now," he explained.

"The GFA needs to address this issue because the legacy of Hearts and Kotoko cannot be compared to clubs like Aduana Stars, Bechem United, Dreams FC, Karela, and others that have emerged from them. Hearts and Kotoko have previously won CAF trophies," he added in Twi.

Otto Addo and his team have been heavily criticised for their failure to qualify the Black Stars for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.

Ghana lost three, drew three, and won none of their six matches in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers.

Finishing at the bottom of Group F with only three points, Ghana missed out on qualification as Sudan and Angola progressed from the group.

This marks the first time in 20 years that the Black Stars have not qualified for the AFCON.

Watch Aziz Haruna's video below:

"The Black Stars are suffering because the two biggest clubs in Ghana, Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, are struggling " - Abdul Aziz Haruna#HappySports#BlackStars pic.twitter.com/5pVsGhnPsf

— Happy Sports (@HappySportsGh) December 4, 2024