Former Ghana Football Association Vice President, Fred Pappoe, has expressed his lack of surprise over the Black Stars’ failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Ghana endured a difficult campaign in the AFCON qualifiers, suffering three losses and three draws, which left them winless across six matches. As a result, the West African giants finished at the bottom of Group F, ending their hopes of participating in the prestigious tournament. This marks the first time in 20 years that Ghana will miss out on the AFCON, with their last failure to qualify occurring in 2004.
While acknowledging the disappointment surrounding the team’s absence from the 2025 AFCON, Pappoe stated that the outcome was expected due to the Black Stars’ poor performances in recent AFCON tournaments.
“Everyone connected with football in Ghana is upset by this outcome; it’s unfortunate, and it brings a lot of pain,” Pappoe remarked. “However, considering our recent performances in the last two AFCON tournaments, it was clear that things were not going well with the team. The signs were there for all to see, so this is not entirely surprising.”
The Black Stars now look ahead to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, which are set to begin in March 2025.
