The Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Henry Asante Twum, has acknowledged that the Black Stars’ performance in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers fell short of expectations.
For the first time in two decades, Ghana will not participate in the AFCON tournament in Morocco, finishing at the bottom of Group F with only three points.
The team recorded three draws and three losses across six matches, leading to calls from football fans for a complete overhaul of both the players and the coaching staff.
Reflecting on the team’s disappointing run in the qualifiers, Asante Twum admitted the performance was below par.
He noted that in previous years, the Black Stars would often secure qualification with a match or two remaining in the campaign.
Henry Asante Twum
“Black Stars’ performance in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers was not good enough, and I admit that,” he said on News File on Joy FM.
“When we lost against Angola, I knew it could come back to haunt us. I can pick out our game against Angola in Kumasi and probably against Sudan in Accra. We were not good enough in the rest of our games.
“This is not the standard of the Black Stars because in previous qualifiers, with two games or a game to spare, we were already there.”
He emphasized that the current standard of the team is far below what it used to be, with previous qualifiers seeing the Black Stars seal their spot well before the final matches.
“We knew mathematically there was a chance for us, but we also needed to win our games and pick up some points on the road. Once that did not happen, the players began to panic, and once injuries began to set in, it made everything difficult.”
Despite the setbacks, Asante Twum acknowledged that the team’s overall performance in the qualifiers was inadequate.
“But generally, the performance of the Black Stars in the qualifiers was not good enough,” he added.
The GFA Executive Council is set to meet on Wednesday to discuss the future of head coach Otto Addo, following the team’s failure to qualify for AFCON.
Looking ahead, the Black Stars will now focus on the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with matches against Chad and Madagascar scheduled for March 2025.
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