Ghana Sports Minister calls meeting after shock exit

Andre Ayew

Ghana's forward Andre Ayew (;eft) reacts during their Group C 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN)  match against Comoros at Stade Roumde Adjia in Garoua on January 18, 2022.
 

Photo credit: Daniel Olomo | AFP

What you need to know:

  • Commenting on a Nigeria radio station from the Ghanaian capital on Wednesday, journalist Akosua Amoo said the mood in Accra is gloomy following the early elimination of the team form the tournament.
  • “A team like Black Stars shouldn’t be losing to Comoros, we shouldn’t be struggling to make it out of the group stages. The Afcon is no longer 16 teams, it is 24 teams, so this is a bit pathetic,” she said.

The Ghanaian government has summoned the country’s football association leadership after team's shock elimination from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday night.

The four time African champions, who are currently ranked eighth on the continent, fell 2-3 to debutants Comoros in their last Group ‘C’ fixture on Tuesday at the Roumde Adjia stadium in Garoua.   

In a statement on Wednesday, Ghanaian Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif said the entire country was “extremely disappointed with the abysmal performance and early exit” of the team from the competition.

Ussif said the ministry is particularly disappointed with the team’s performance given that they were provided “all the needed logistical and financial support” for preparations and participation in the continental football showpiece.

“The ministry (of Youth and Sports) has summoned the Ghana Football Association (G.F.A) leadership to an emergency meeting to urgently discuss and take decisions aimed at salvaging the performance of the Black Stars especially in the next set of game,” Mustapha Ussif said in the statement. The said meeting will be held on Friday, January 21.

In their earlier group games, the Black Stars lost 0-1 to Morocco in the opener before conceding a late equaliser against Gabon in Matchday 2 leaving them with just a point from the two matches.

Morocco and Gabon drew in Yaounde to finish in first and second positions on the group and advance to the knockout phase, while Comoros will have wait till to know if they are among best four third-placed teams to advance to the knockout stages.

Commenting on a Nigeria radio station from the Ghanaian capital on Wednesday, journalist Akosua Amoo said the mood in Accra is gloomy following the early elimination of the team form the tournament.

“A team like Black Stars shouldn’t be losing to Comoros, we shouldn’t be struggling to make it out of the group stages. The Afcon is no longer 16 teams, it is 24 teams, so this is a bit pathetic,” she said.