Ghana’s AFCON disaster triggers international shock

After Niger thumped Sudan 4-0 on Thursday, a window of opportunity was opened for the Black Stars to keep their slim 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying hopes alive.

Ghana needed to beat Angola in a must-win game on Friday to stand a chance of securing qualification to Morocco’s 2025 continental showpiece.

A victory for Ghana over Angola would have meant the Black Stars would have moved to five points ahead of the game against Niger in a make-or-break tie at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday, relying on Angola to beat Sudan to aid their qualification hopes.

However, the Black Stars’ fate was sealed following a 1-1 draw at the Stade de 11 Novembro when Angola’s second-half substitute Zino rose highest to nod in the equalizer for the home side after Jordan Ayew’s stunning 25-yard free-kick put the Black Stars ahead against the run of play in the first half.

Angola crushed Ghana’s qualifying hopes and made sure the four-time AFCON winners will play no part in the forthcoming edition in Morocco, ensuring the country’s 42-year drought for the coveted continental cup enters a 43rd year.

The result, which was anticipated by many Ghanaians, sent shockwaves throughout the globe at the blast of the full-time whistle, with many football enthusiasts struggling to come to terms with the Black Stars missing out on the AFCON for the first time since 2004.

For the local media back home, the headlines were mainly focused on Ghana missing out on the AFCON for the first time in 20 years, a brewing problem that had been growing since 2019.

The culminating point was missing out on AFCON qualification after failing to win a game in the last two tournaments and exiting the tournament in the RO-16 in 2019, which is in sharp contrast to Ghana’s outstanding performances from 2008-2017 (making two final appearances and every semi-final in that time).

However, after Anas’ expose which brought to light the rot and nefarious activities which was ongoing behind the scenes at the GFA, the FA was disbanded and the president at the time, Kwesi Nyantakyi, was succeeded by the current president, Kurt Okraku in 2019.

Ghana will NOT be going to AFCON 2025 after being knocked out in the qualifiers

2021: Eliminated in the group stage
2023: Eliminated in the group stage
2025: Fail to qualify pic.twitter.com/VR1l80UZm8

— OneFootball (@OneFootball) November 15, 2024

Ghana football has been on a downward spiral since Okraku’s appointment, with the Black Stars’ performance at major tournaments just about painting the picture.

Despite the plethora of attacking talents at the disposal of coach Otto Addo -who should not even be in the dugout in the first place- the team, who should be among the leading contenders at the AFCON, will take no part in it.

The fecklessness behavior was echoed by Guardian sports writer Jonathan Wilson in his column.

“[In Ghana], there’s no shortage of talented players. The problem is getting them to play together. Semenyo, Lamptey and Williams were among eight withdrawals from the present squad. Partey was left out having withdrawn from the squad for the two games against Sudan, only to be available immediately for Arsenal,” he wrote.

“With Addo having in effect retired André Ayew from international football, that leaves the squad short of leaders. Leadership, organisation, direction are generally lacking. There have been seven changes of coach since Avram Grant left in 2017, for which Okraku has to take responsibility.

If players start to wonder whether it’s really worth pushing themselves to join a shambolic national squad, can they be blamed? With the talent available, Ghana should have gone to Morocco as one of the favourites. That they will not be there is the result of a profound carelessness,” he added.

Four-time champions Ghana will ???????????? be going to AFCON

They had qualified for the last 10 tournaments. pic.twitter.com/Uc7JRrKbWN

— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 15, 2024

Wilson is not the only one who has been talking about the Black Stars’ downward spiral. West Ham legend Nigel Reo-Cooker and Sierra Leonean icon Michael Lahoud did not hold back in their assessments of the team on CBS Sports Golazo.

“First time they haven’t qualified since 2004. There has to be a clearing of the house process for me because it is inexcusable, this is Ghana. They produce some of the top talents we’ve seen; talk about Michael Essien and, right now, Kudus, like there’s so much talent there. And for them not to qualify, it’s an absolute embarrassment; it’s just that simple, he said.

 

“For [Ghana] not to qualify for AFCON…it’s an absolute embarrassment.” @MikeLahoud & Nigel Reo-Coker react to Ghana’s struggles and think a clearing of house may be needed pic.twitter.com/tY1NtDS64E

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 16, 2024

“Lack of direction, shortcomings from Ghana, you know. When you talk about Africa as a continent, the North African sides have always done well. You look about Morocco, Algeria not as much recently, Egypt. But for me, Ivory Coast, Senegal they are probably, I would say, the real standard bearers of African football right now. And the smaller nations are starting to even go. Smaller nations like Cape Verde are starting to do well now, but for Ghana, for me, that is an embarrassment because they are a powerhouse nation of African football and not to qualify is an absolute embarrassment,” he added.

While Lahoud said: “Ghana not qualifying for the AFCON, Nig, that is incredible. This a Ghanaian side that has been on the slide; they have been in just a really bad way. The last two AFCONs, they have been one of the worst teams at the AFCON.”

The candid thoughts of these sports enthusiasts have been added to major headlines on the Black Stars’ disappointing qualification exit from numerous outlets, including Eurosport, The Athletic, Al Jazeera among others.

The post Ghana’s AFCON disaster triggers international shock first appeared on 3News.

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