Former Ghanaian midfielder points to systemic issues beyond coaching as Black Stars miss out on AFCON qualification.

Ghana’s football legend Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has called for a broader analysis of the Black Stars’ ongoing struggles following their failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The senior national team faltered in a crucial Matchday 5 encounter against Angola, managing only a 1-1 draw at the Estádio 11 de Novembro. The result left Ghana languishing in fourth place in Group F, with a meager three points from five games, effectively ending their hopes of making the tournament in Morocco next year.

Speaking on Akoma FM, the FIFA U-20 World Cup winner refrained from singling out Otto Addo and his technical team for the team’s woes. Instead, he highlighted a pattern of underperformance under multiple coaches.

“Obviously, there are problems with the technical team. While the coach may not be performing exceptionally, we can’t blame the entire situation on him alone,” Agyemang-Badu remarked. “If we’ve had five different coaches under Kurt Okraku’s administration and we are still struggling, can we honestly say it’s just a coaching issue? That wouldn’t be fair.”

The Black Stars, whose fans have grown increasingly frustrated, will play their final qualifier against Niger on Monday at the Accra Sports Stadium, with kick-off slated for 16:00 GMT.