Ghana head coach Otto Addo has admitted that the Black Stars have been on a downward trajectory for several years, adding that the team was fortunate to secure qualification for the 2022 World Cup.
Ghana edged past Nigeria on the away goals rule in a two-legged playoff to book their spot in Qatar. However, that success came after a disappointing performance at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon, where the Black Stars were eliminated in the group stage.
Since then, the team has struggled to make an impact in major tournaments. They crashed out at the group stage of the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, and now face the possibility of missing out on the 2025 AFCON after a poor start to the qualifiers.
The Black Stars have failed to secure a win in their four qualifying matches, sitting third in Group F with just two points.
Reflecting on Ghana’s challenges, Addo, now in his second stint as head coach, acknowledged that the team’s decline began long before his current tenure. “Since not qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, we’ve been struggling as a country for a long time. We were lucky to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar,” he said.
Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the 2025 AFCON now rest on their final group matches against Angola and Niger in November, where they must secure victories while hoping that Sudan drops points in their remaining fixtures.
The Black Stars last missed out on an AFCON tournament in 2004, making this campaign’s outcome critical for the team’s future.
