Ghana football legend, Reverend Osei Kofi, believes the country’s prolonged failure to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is due to its inability to honour promises made to past heroes.
The Black Stars last lifted the prestigious continental trophy in 1982. Since then, they have come close on several occasions but have fallen short. Ghana reached the finals in 1992, losing to Ivory Coast in a penalty shootout. In 2010, they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Egypt, and in 2015, history repeated itself as the Black Stars once again lost to Ivory Coast on penalties.
Speaking to Sporty FM, Rev. Osei Kofi — a key member of the 1982 title-winning squad, former Asante Kotoko star, and a triple Olympian — expressed disappointment over the government’s failure to fulfill promises made to the victorious 1982 team. He suggested that this neglect could be a spiritual factor behind Ghana’s decades-long AFCON title drought.
“Ghana hasn’t won the AFCON since 1982 because the country has not honoured its promise to us,” he stated.
Ghana’s recent performances in the tournament have also been underwhelming. The Black Stars were eliminated at the group stage in both the 2021 and 2023 editions.
To compound the disappointment, the team has now failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON — marking the first time in 20 years that Ghana will miss the tournament entirely.