Given the current circumstances, it seems unlikely that Ghana will qualify for the 2025 AFCON. Even if we do, it’s unlikely to be a classic underdog story.
Why do I say so?
The fate of Ghana’s World Cup qualifying campaign hangs in the balance, and it all comes down to the crucial match between Niger and Sudan. As mathematicians, we’ve crunched the numbers, and a Niger win offers Ghana a glimmer of hope.
2 points out of 4 matches played
Niger and Sudan took 4 points from us in our last meetings. Interestingly, Niger’s squad has only 4 players good enough for Dream FC (currently at risk of relegation in the Ghanaian Premier League), according to the Ghana Federation President.
Meanwhile, Sudan who has been consistent sits atop their World Cup qualifying group with 10 points, ahead of powerhouse Senegal. But here’s the twist – the backbone of Sudan’s team is comprised of Ghanaian talent.
Kwesi Appiah in his post [Ghana vs. Sudan] match
What will be the worst for Ghana in this qualifier
Although, Ghanaians are out there to see how their muster seed would yield miracles, it will get worse if we see Niger doing the Lord’s work for us to give us hope for qualification only for us to go and fall mightily against Angola shattering the hope of progress.
The Worst-Case Scenario for Ghana
Despite Ghanaians’ optimism, hoping for a miraculous turnaround, the worst-case scenario would unfold if:
1. Niger beats Sudan, reviving Ghana’s qualification hopes.
2. Ghana then suffers a crushing defeat against Angola, shattering those renewed hopes.
It was déjà vu all over again for Ghanaian football fans after holding Sudan to a draw at the Accra Sports Stadium, hopes were high for a turnaround. However, the return match told a different story – a disheartening 2-0 defeat. The Black Stars are still reeling from their shocking 2-0 defeat to Sudan, a loss that has left emotional scars on players and fans alike. The setback has proven difficult to shake off, affecting some individual performances at the club level. Kudus [the new captain of double edger], received a red card in a subsequent club match (West Ham vs Tottenham) and a 5-match ban, candidly admits that the Sudan loss still weighs heavily on his mind.
The prospect of facing group leaders Angola away from home now casts a gloomy shadow, reviving concerns about Ghana’s ability to repeat such heroics.
Fellow Ghanaians, we are in trying times. The Black Stars, our beloved national team, is facing an unprecedented crisis. Just as we were mustering hope for a miraculous turnaround in the AFCON qualifiers, devastating news struck. Eight key players – Antoine Semenyo, Inaki Williams, Jonas Adjetey, Tariq Lamptey, Jerome Opoku, Alexander Djiku, Ibrahim Osman, and Joseph Painstil – have withdrawn from the upcoming matches against Angola and Niger. The reasons vary, but the impact is clear: our team’s chances of success have taken a severe blow.
For Gideon Mensah, the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to “fight the good fight of the faith” remains a beacon of hope to him. Despite challenges and the statistics, he believes there is still a chance to reclaim his spot in the Black Stars squad.
For me, I think first, every player in the national team is very crucial to the team. And then obviously, we have players that we are always looking up to see in the national team, and we have players that are also there to support when other players are not there. It’s a big loss for us.”
“But also currently, at the end of the day, we still have a team to cover up. And then I’m not really scared about that. So, when one is not there, another person is ready to play for me,”
The final squad for the match day 5 and 6 of the ongoing AFCON Qualifiers
What next?
It is time we return to the drawing board to make decisions for the future of the national team. From a team who was constantly qualifying for the African Cup of Nation even when it was among 16 teams but here, we are trying to pick ourselves up in an extended 24 team participation.
Chinua Achebe aptly puts; things fall apart the centre can’t hold. The Black Stars, once Africa’s beacon of hope, now fight to hold onto their own aspirations.
By Henry Kofi Quansah
