Former Ghana international Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has expressed concern about the current trajectory of the Black Stars under coach Otto Addo, following a challenging start to their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign.
Ghana’s hopes for a successful qualification were dented after they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Angola at the Baba Yara Stadium last Thursday, and were then held to a 1-1 draw by Niger on Monday at the Stade Municipal de Berkane in Morocco. These results have left the Black Stars in 3rd place in Group F with just one point from their opening two games.
Reflecting on the team’s performances, Agyemang-Badu, a FIFA U-20 World Cup winner and former Asante Kotoko and Udinese Calcio midfielder, questioned the effectiveness of Addo’s approach.
“Given the quality players we have, it’s concerning that we’re struggling to string together a few passes effectively. Even when we took the lead against Niger, they dominated possession and had 16 shots, with three on target. Meanwhile, we managed only six shots, three on target, and just one corner throughout the game,” Agyemang-Badu told Asempa FM.
He continued, “I don’t believe we’re heading in the right direction. We used to be a team that reached the finals; now we’re facing the risk of elimination at the group stage and struggling to qualify. Things are getting tougher for us.”
The Black Stars will face a critical doubleheader against Kwesi Appiah’s Sudan in October as they seek to revive their qualification hopes.
