Sports journalist Gary Al-Smith has called on Dr.Randy Abbey to step down as chairman of the Black Stars Management Committee and focus exclusively on his role as chief executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board, citing mounting challenges in the cocoa sector.
Dr.Abbey currently oversees COCOBOD, which manages one of Ghana’s most critical export commodities, while also chairing the management committee of the national men’s football team under the Ghana Football Association.
Al-Smith said the economic weight of cocoa and the operational demands of the national team make the dual roles difficult to justify at a time of strain in the agricultural sector. “At a time when cocoa is struggling, cocoa farmers are not being paid on time, the monies that they are being given are not enough for their labours, we expect that whoever is managing cocoa affairs in Ghana, the cocoa board, should give it his full, undiluted, undistracted attention, full stop,” he said.
COCOBOD has faced scrutiny in recent months over delayed payments to farmers and broader financial pressures affecting the industry. Cocoa remains central to Ghana’s export earnings and rural livelihoods, making its administration a matter of national economic importance. Al-Smith argued that leadership of the Black Stars, particularly as the team pursues World Cup qualification, also requires sustained focus and strategic oversight.
“If I have to compare management of the Black Stars going to the World Cup with cocoa, it’s a no-brainer. The person managing the Black Stars should have 100% attention, maybe 200%, not be distracted by anything,” he said.
He urged Abbey to relinquish the football role and allow others with institutional knowledge to assume responsibility, suggesting that he could still offer guidance informally. “So Dr. Randy Abbey, please, and the GFA, please do the right thing and allow Dr. Randy Abbey to take that position away,” Al-Smith said.
Neither Dr.Abbey nor the Ghana Football Association has publicly responded to the comments.The remarks presents broader questions about governance and capacity within key national institutions.
