Akufo-Addo: Ghana has good players, so why can’t we perform in tournaments?

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo says he cannot understand the Black Stars’ poor performance in tournaments despite the country’s array of talents.

He noted that the country’s inability to win a major trophy in the last 41 years has heightened expectations for the national team.

Akufo-Addo said this when he met the leadership of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) at the Jubilee House on Wednesday.

The President also pledged to provide the Black Stars with whatever they need ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in January 2024.

“As an avid football fan, I am very much aware of the challenges that confront us, as results have not been good in recent games. But you can count on me for the necessary support,” Akufo-Addo said, as quoted by Adom Online.

“We have some very good talents scattered across the globe, so I don’t understand why we shouldn’t perform in tournaments."

He added: “Ghanaians are obsessed with football, and you have the mandate of ensuring that our game is on the right path. We have the Africa Cup of Nations in a few days, and it is our responsibility to give the technical team and the playing body the needed support to succeed in neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire.

“It’s been forty-one years since Ghana won the Africa Cup of Nations. If my memory serves me right, we have played in a couple of finals in recent times and lost on penalties in 2015. Expectations are very high, so let’s do our best to make this tournament a success.”

Ghana is paired against Egypt, Cape Verde and Mozambique in Group of the AFCON, which will be hosted in the Ivory Coast.