Ghana has failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the first time since 2004.
Monday’s abysmal result also means for the first time in the country’s history, Ghana has completed an AFCON qualifying series without winning a match.
Ghana ended their abysmal AFCON 2025 qualifying campaign in a home defeat against Niger, at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Ghana finishes bottom of Group F with three points, while Niger finish with seven points. However, Sudan have qualified ahead of them with eight points, while Angola finished with fourteen points.
The Black Stars’ failure to qualify for AFCON 2025 marks a historic low for Ghanaian football, prompting widespread criticism of the team’s performance and the leadership of the GFA.
Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has expressed his disappointment following the Black Stars’ failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Mr Okraku took to Facebook to reflect on the team’s journey from their recent highs to this monumental disaster, describing the situation as painful.
“From the highest heights of world football on the 29th of March 2022 to the lowest ebb of AFCON qualifying matches. My heart bleeds,” Okraku began, referring to Ghana’s qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup as a moment of pride, now overshadowed by their inability to secure a spot in AFCON 2025.
The tension is mounting, and many are calling for the head coach, Otto Addo, who says he will not resign.
The intense moment sports journalist Kobby Stonne, during yesterday’s post match press conference, described Ghana’s Head Coach, Otto Addo, as a better talent scout than a coach, over the Blackstars abysmal performance. pic.twitter.com/583Tre3hLK
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) November 19, 2024
On assessment of the team’s performance in the qualifiers, Otto Addo said, “I see things always difficult and different, because especially if I see the matches, it’s a result sport, so at the end, especially those who didn’t see our matches will call for whatever. But me, from outside, if I look at a football match, I’m not like if somebody lose or they play bad. I’m not like that. So I’m assessing games differently, and football is sometimes like that. But at the end, I’m very, very disappointed. That’s true, and I can understand everybody who’s disappointed or maybe angry. It shouldn’t be to a certain extent. It’s disappointing, and at the end, we have to do better.”
The Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association (ExCo) is scheduled to hold its next meeting on Wednesday, November 20.
The meeting will see the Council Members deliberate on a number of key issues regarding the development of football in the country. Topping the agenda for the meeting is the performance of the Black Stars.
