Former Vice President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Fred Pappoe, has expressed disappointment over Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) but admits the outcome was foreseeable.
The Black Stars, four-time African champions, will miss the tournament scheduled to be held in Morocco next year after finishing last in Group F. Over six matches, the team failed to secure a single victory, recording three draws and three losses.
Reflecting on this setback, which marks the first time Ghana has missed AFCON in 20 years, Pappoe highlighted the team’s struggles in recent tournaments as a warning sign.
“Everyone associated with football is not happy about what has gone on, that Ghana will not be part of the assembly of African footballing nations at the AFCON 2025,” he said.
“It’s very unfortunate and I think it is something that causes a lot of pain. My assessment is that it is an unfortunate situation and an unfortunate development.
“Of course, it was coming considering our performances in the past two AFCON tournaments. It was something which was clear for all of us to see that things were not going well with the team.
“Our performances have not been anything to be proud of in the qualifiers. We saw signs, and the signals were clear on the wall, so this is not entirely surprising,” he added.
Despite the disappointment, attention now shifts to the Black Stars’ future. The GFA’s Executive Council is set to decide on the fate of head coach Otto Addo.
Meanwhile, the team will prepare for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with crucial matches against Chad and Madagascar scheduled for March 2025. The Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council is set to decide on Otto Addo’s future as the head coach of the Black Stars today, November 27.
This follows Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Last week, the Executive Council met to deliberate on Addo’s position, but a final decision was deferred to today.
During the scheduled meeting, Otto Addo will present his technical report, detailing the reasons behind the team’s poor performance in the qualifiers. The council will also evaluate the overall performance of the technical team since Addo’s appointment.
In a statement released on Thursday, November 21, the GFA confirmed the agenda of the meeting:
“The Executive Council will meet the Head Coach of the Black Stars, Mr. Otto Addo, on the 27th of November, 2024, to discuss his technical report on the just-ended AFCON qualifiers and the overall performance of the technical team since assuming duty earlier this year.”
Under Addo’s tenure, the Black Stars struggled in the qualifiers, failing to secure a single win. They recorded three losses and three draws, finishing last in Group F, which included Niger, Sudan, and Angola.
Appointed in March 2024, Addo succeeded Chris Hughton on a 34-month contract with an option for an additional 24 months.
Meanwhile, the GFA recently announced the dissolution of the Black Stars Management Committee.
With AFCON qualification now out of reach, the Black Stars will shift their focus to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which begin in March 2025. Ghana’s first matches will be against Chad and Madagascar.
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