How Black Stars have performed under Kurt Okraku's GFA

Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku assumed office as the president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) in 2019 and won a second term in October last year after he stood unopposed.

Tagging himself as the “Game Changer,” - the one to take Ghana football to a new level after investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas exposed the rot in the country’s football ecosystem in the highly-advertised “Number 12” documentary.

However, five years into his tenure as GFA boss, the performance of the Black Stars has taken a nose dive with Ghana failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the first time since 2004.

The national team’s performance has been on a downward trajectory since.

Ghana made it to the round of 16 of the 2019 AFCON before Kurt Okraku took over, but since then the Black Stars have failed to advance from the group stages of any tournament, they have participated in.

Pulse Sports Ghana highlights the Black Stars' performance under Kurt Okraku’s administration.

2021 AFCON

In the 2021 AFCON, Ghana failed to win a single game in the group stage.

Morocco defeated the Black Stars 1-0 in their opening match, then Ghana drew 1-1 against Gabon before losing 2-3 to Comoros.

Ghana finished bottom in Group C with only one point, and Morocco topped with seven points followed by Gabon who accumulated five points.

2022 World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty helped Portugal run off with a 3-2 victory over Ghana before they won with the same scoreline against South Korea.

Qualification seemed possible but Ghana ultimately crashed out in the repeat or revenge fixture against Uruguay, losing 2-0 after Dede Ayew missed a penalty early in the game.

Portugal won the group with six points, South Korea came second with four points, same as Uruguay in third place and Ghana exited Group H with only three points.

2023 AFCON

Another disappointing showing in Ivory Coast saw Ghana exit the group of the AFCON for a second consecutive time.

The Black Stars failed to win any of their three Group C matches, drawing 2-2 to both Mozambique and Egypt and then losing 1-2 to Cape Verde.

Cape Verde advanced to the last 16 as Group C leaders, followed by Egypt in second place, and Mozambique and Ghana both with two points exited the tournament.

2025 AFCON Qualifiers

The Black Stars have now officially failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON Qualifiers after last night's 1-1 draw to Angola.

The Black Stars lost 1-0 to Angola in Kumasi, drew 1-1 against Niger in Morocco, and secured only one point in the double-header against Sudan – drawing goalless at home and losing 2-0 away.

Otto Addo’s men are now bottom in Group F with only two points and have missed out on the extended edition of the continental tournament in Morocco next year.

Ghana will play Niger in their final qualifying game at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday, November 18, 2024, at 4 PM local time.

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