Mustapha Ussif, Ghana’s Sports Minister, has voiced his disappointment with the recent performances of the Black Stars in major football tournaments, highlighting a concerning trend of underachievement.
The four-time Africa Champions have faced significant setbacks in the past three tournaments, enduring premature exits from the group stage in both AFCON and the FIFA World Cup.
Before their recent disappointment at AFCON 2023, the Black Stars endured early eliminations at AFCON 2021 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Addressing Parliament, Mustapha Ussif underscored the gravity of the situation, stressing that the team’s performances in these tournaments are unacceptable, particularly given the substantial investments made by the government in support of the team.
“The Black Stars’ performance in the last three major tournaments, namely the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon, 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and 2023 AFCON in Cote D’Ivoire, where Ghana exited at the group stages of all three tournaments, notwithstanding government’s continuous huge investment in the team, is not acceptable,” he affirmed.
In the latest setback at AFCON 2023, where Ivory Coast emerged as champions, the Black Stars faltered in the group stage, finishing third in Group B with only two points. Despite managing two draws, they suffered a defeat, leading to their premature elimination from the tournament.
