Sudan’s assistant coach, Ignatius Osei-Fosu, has admitted that he felt uneasy when Ghana was drawn into their group for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Osei-Fosu, a Ghanaian by nationality, was particularly concerned about the pressure and potential criticism that could come from his home country, especially with Sudan’s head coach, Kwasi Appiah, being a former Ghana manager and a member of the Ghana Football Association’s (GFA) Executive Council.
“I didn’t like Ghana in our group because I didn’t want a situation where family and friends would call me, blaming me for Ghana not qualifying,” Osei-Fosu confessed during an appearance on Asempa FM’s SportsNite Show.
He also recalled previous experiences, saying, “It happened before when people told me I was responsible for Ghana missing out on AFCON qualification when I was back home.”
Despite the challenges, Osei-Fosu and Sudan managed to hold Ghana to a goalless draw in the first leg before securing a 2-0 victory in the return leg, which earned them a spot in the 2025 tournament.
As a result, Sudan, alongside Angola, qualified for the 2025 AFCON, leaving Ghana to miss out on the prestigious tournament.