Ex-Ghana midfielder says team’s struggles reflect deeper issues in Ghana football.

Former Ghana international Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has expressed his disappointment over the Black Stars’ inability to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), stating the team lacked the quality needed to compete on the continental stage.

Ghana’s hopes were dashed after a 1-1 draw with Angola at the Estádio 11 de Novembro in Luanda on Friday. Despite needing a victory following Niger’s dominant 4-0 win over Sudan, the Black Stars fell short. Jordan Ayew’s first-half free-kick was canceled out by Zini’s header in the second half, leaving Ghana stranded in fourth place in Group F with only three points from five matches.

In an emotional interview with Akoma FM, the FIFA U-20 World Cup winner criticized the team’s overall quality and called out a culture of complacency in Ghana football.

“Our team lacked the quality to qualify for the AFCON,” Agyemang-Badu said. “Our problems started long ago. The funny thing is we celebrate mediocrity and deceive ourselves into thinking everything is fine after one good result. I nearly cried yesterday.”

The Black Stars will conclude their qualifiers with a home game against Niger on Monday at the Accra Sports Stadium, kicking off at 16:00 GMT. However, the match will be little more than a formality as Ghana is already eliminated.