Ghana, yet again is making a return to Africa’s biggest showpiece, the African Cup of Nations for the umpteenth. The country has long laboured to break its over 4 decades absence of silverware, in the last decade, its best two finals (2010, 2015) and 4 semi-finals (2008,2012,2013,2017).
But in the last few years, a culmination of bad performances, ill-luck, disciplinary issues, visible gaps in coaching credentials, lack of proper planning, and transitioning has bedeviled the footballing country from achieving its desired results.
Milo has named his 28-man final squad for the AFCON, 2022 tourney and like previous years it came with loads of buzz as expected, some players missing out as well as others making it to the squad.
Some countries have put in place structures, plans, policies, and personnel to help achieve their aims as a football nation but not Ghana. As a former football powerhouse, we have failed to clean our house of cobwebs that have raided our cabinets, we pride ourselves on the success of our history, but all these are in the past since we have failed to build on them in the last 40 years. It’s sad.
FOR THE FANS
If there is anything fans can be proud and brag about in Ghana concerning anything football then it’s the Blackstars. But in the last few years, the love for them has fizzled into thin air with no trace of a return. It’s hard if you are continually disappointed about something you have high hopes in and it keeps failing time after time. That’s how a large section of the fans has felt in the years gone by. The former achievements of the team may have placed a considerable amount of pressure on them which they have been unable to replicate in recent AFCON outings. I strongly believe that fans should gauge their expectations for the current crop of players. Largely, a chunk of these lads are making their first bow in a major competition of this magnitude. Interestingly, this squad could be compared to the 2015 squad that made the finals only to lose to neighbors, Cote d’Ivoire on penalties.
GFA
The onus lies on the current football administration led by Kurt Okraku to provide the right room for the coach and the team to operate as well as offer any support the team could need in his quest to bring its long-lost trophy hoodoo.
COACH/ PLAYERS
Milo is making a return to Ghana after a decade since he left in a capacity, he knows too well but the grounds on which he thrived in his first stint are different if you ask me, but that should not give him any excuse whatsoever to fail considering the resources at his disposal. He has had time with his technical team and scouts collectively to hand call-ups to able footballers deemed fit to hoist the flag of the country, Ghana in Cameroun in the upcoming few weeks.
THE TOURNAMENT
The AFCON tournament begins on January,9,2022. Ghana has been pitted against Comoros, Gabon and Morocco in Group C. With their first match against Morocco placed on January 10 at 4 pm.
CAF has allowed an increment to the number of players allowed at the tournament with the plan of each team eligible to make 5 substitutes during a game.
As predictions go, Ghana is expected to end their quest for a trophy in Cameroun but with expectations never met, defending champions Algeria, Senegal, Egypt are the most likely teams to lift this trophy. But if AFCON is one thing, usually it is unpredictable.
