Former Ghana international Prince Tagoe has voiced his concerns over Mohammed Kudus being given the captain’s armband during Ghana’s goalless draw with Sudan in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Kudus, the West Ham United star, was handed the captaincy in the absence of Andre Ayew and Thomas Partey, as the Black Stars dominated but failed to secure a win at the Accra Sports Stadium on October 10, 2024.
Speaking to Bryt FM, Tagoe criticized the decision to give Kudus the leadership role, stating that more experienced players like Jordan Ayew should have taken the responsibility instead.
“I don’t know who decided to give Mohammed Kudus the captaincy armband. We don’t have to rush him. We should allow him to grow and not put him under pressure because he is one of our future stars. Our captaincy should be systematic,” Tagoe said.
He further explained the potential dangers of mismanaging the captaincy, citing past instances of team division. “We always repeat our mistakes, which is not the best. We have players who could have led the team instead of Kudus. Captaincy always breeds confusion in a team like hatred and jealousy. The right things must be done because captaincy has ruined the Black Stars before.”
Tagoe also referenced a past situation in which captaincy was given to Asamoah Gyan over more senior players. “Why give the captaincy armband to Kudus while Jordan Ayew is available? Muntari and Essien were there, but we jumped over them and handed it to Asamoah Gyan.”
Ghana’s draw with Sudan leaves their AFCON 2025 qualification hopes in a precarious position. The Black Stars will need a much-improved performance as they head to Tripoli, Libya, for the return leg against Sudan.
Coach Otto Addo and his team will have to secure a positive result to keep their chances of qualifying for AFCON 2025 alive.
