Dreams FC's fairytale run in the CAF Confederation Cup has ended.

They lost by three goals to nil as Zamalek prevailed. It was heartbreaking but we will remember them for all the right reasons.

And there were a lot of them. 

In December 2023, Dreams became the first Ghanaian side to win an away match in a CAF-organised competition in 19 years, when they beat Academica do Lobito 2-1 in Angola.

Dreams line up before a CAF Confederation Cup match this season

Dreams also became the first Ghanaian club to secure multiple away wins in the group stage of a CAF competition since Hearts of Oak in 2000, when they beat Stade Malien in Mali.

Karim Zito's men also scored the joint highest in the group stage (11 goals).

However, their best work was done off the pitch; demystifying the conditions for excelling in CAF inter-club competitions.

For a long time, many have held the uneducated view that Ghanaian clubs cannot compete on the continent because of money.

When have we ever been the richest football economy on the continent? When have we ever been financially competitive?

How much money did we have when we made seven continental finals between 1993 and 2005 (not counting the two Super Cup appearances in 2001 and 2005?

Hearts of Oak played in four continental finals; Champions League in 2000, Confederation Cup in 2005, and Super Cup finals in 2001 and 2005. They won three out of four; with the 2005 CAF Super Cup being the only exception

Make no mistake, money is and will always be important. Dreams FC spent $400,000 to get to the semi-final. They qualified for the Confederation Cup after winning a competition whose prize money is $6,000 and an extra $8,000 to prepare for the Africa campaign.

This season, the Ghana Premier League winner will get $35,000 as prize money. 

To put matters into context, Samson Akinyoola, the striker who scored Zamalek's second goal on Sunday night, cost $1.2 million from Venezuelan club Caracas FC. Under the current reward system, Dreams FC will have to win the Ghana Premier League for thirty-four consecutive seasons - thirty-five odd years - before making that amount of money. 

If we focus on money, we might as well give up entirely.

In any case, why complain about money when we are notoriously wasteful with money? 

Ghanaian clubs have made a habit of keeping absurdly large squads. The average Ghanaian club has not less than forty players, the majority of whom will not kick a ball until their contract runs out.

Take for example Accra Hearts of Oak. They have six goalkeepers on their books; Kwadwo Bonsu, Kwesi Nketsiah, Sherif Shuaib, Richmond Ayi, Richard Attah, and Eric Ofori Antwi.

Richard Attah, Hearts of Oak's current number one

None of them, including the three signed in the January transfer window, are particularly good at goalkeeping.

When Ghanaian clubs host their foreign counterparts here, fans are often surprised by how well-structured and tactically sound they play. The difference in physical conditioning and intensity is always unmissable.

If untrained eyes can spot such disparities, you can imagine what else will be uncovered by technically educated minds. 

A year ago, GFA President Kurt Okraku said “I have already said that the biggest problems facing our game are coaching and refereeing. We have big coaching problems in Ghana.”

Football is developed by strong coaching principles and innovative thinking. Beyond these, sustaining success gives credibility to these principles.

One weird thing I have encountered is how uncomfortable Ghanaian coaches get when invited to explain their tactics during pitch-side and post-match interviews.

If you listen to a Ghanaian coach, you are likely to hear one of three things; "we thank God for this result", "the players did not play to instructions", or "We will go back to do our homework".

Heart of Lions coach Bashir Hayford

Even the most expressive ones like David Duncan and Bashir Hayford are not exceptions. Duncan is notoriously cocky while Bashir Hayford has gained notoriety for proverbs and tongue-lashing of journalists and referees.

Producing a good coach is hard work. Scouting well is not. A lot of our clubs face opponents without sufficient knowledge of what to expect.

Scouting is important because it gives you an idea of how your opponent plays. If it is detailed enough, you get first-hand information, and allows you to prepare for all scenarios.

Yet, Ghanaian clubs would rather invest in so-called operations - which is nothing more than attempting to bribe referees and seeking spiritual help - than pay scouts/coaches to spy for them.

All of this persists because the football executives and owners of these clubs are not intentional about growing these clubs.

Dr. Kwame Kyei Complex, home to Nations FC, is one of the better facilities in the Ghana Premier League

If you are intentional about building a club, it will show in how you do it. When Accra Lions first came onto the scene, it was easy to tell that they were different. The same can be said of Inter-Allies until they lost their way.

These clubs; and Right to Dream Academy, and West Africa Football Academy, are not run by rocket scientists. They are operating with sound management practices and clearly defined goals.

That is why they can boast of facilities others do not have. The monies for these did not fall from heaven. 

They identified good business models and worked their way to success. Players they transfer have value because they are well-trained and are identified at very young, ages which makes it possible to be re-educated.

They made good money through player transfers and reinvested the money. Rinse and repeat. 

Dreams are by no means perfect but in eight months, they have rubbished every previously held notion about the impossibility of competing on the continent.