Former Black Stars striker Augustine Ahinful has voiced his concerns regarding the current FIFA rankings, emphasising the need for Ghana to prioritise the development of its national football team rather than being overly fixated on rankings.
Ahinful's remarks come amidst Ghana's persistent decline in the FIFA rankings over the past four updates, with the team currently positioned at 14th in Africa and 68th globally.
This downward trend, Ahinful suggests, does not accurately reflect the true form and potential of the Black Stars.
The former striker attributes Ghana's ranking slump to the team's performances in major competitions like the Africa Cup of Nations and recent friendly matches under coach Otto Addo.
Despite these setbacks, Ahinful urges the technical staff and stakeholders to shift their focus towards building a strong and competitive squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic in June.
In an interview with Citi Sports, Ahinful highlighted the importance of concentrating on long-term team development rather than being overly preoccupied with short-term fluctuations in rankings.
"Obviously, the ranking will tell you Ghana is dropping because of the recent happenings," Ahinful stated. "That is to say, the nation’s cup performance, as well as the recent friendly matches that we played. But to me, the ranking really, really may be an issue for us."