Former Youth and Sports Minister, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, has called for national forgiveness following the Black Stars’ failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
After six matches, Ghana finished bottom of Group F with just three points, having secured three draws and suffered three losses.
As a result, the Black Stars will miss the AFCON for the first time in two decades, with the tournament set to be hosted in Morocco next year.
Despite calls for the dissolution of the team’s technical staff and players, Afriyie Ankrah, speaking on GHOne TV, urged the nation to forgive the team.
He reflected on the lingering effects of the 2014 World Cup crisis, stating, “I think that as a country, we never actually exorcised the issues that came about during the 2014 World Cup,” he said.
“I think that there was too much focus on the drama. Of course, when issues happen, it’s news. But the root causes were not dealt with. So, I think that as a country, we need to forgive them; we need to let them go. I know what I’m talking about. Any adult person will understand what I’m saying. As a country, we need to let them go.”
Afriyie Ankrah also pointed out a disconnect within the Black Stars, citing comments from the coach about the negative public perception towards the team.
“You see, the coach said something; nobody has paid attention to it. He said part of the reason why they lost the Niger match was because of the hatred of Ghanaians towards him and the team. And people didn’t pay attention to that. Now, that has a lot of implications, even for him.
“But if you want to look at it from that perspective, when I watched Kudus going to play the penalty, what were the chants? Away, away. So there’s a disconnection somewhere in the country. Every nation has a soul.”
The Black Stars now shift their focus to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, starting in March 2025, with matches against Chad and Madagascar.
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