PRESIDENT of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku, did not mince words as he ventilated his gross disappointment with the Black Stars’ performance in the opening games of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Otto Addo’s side commenced their qualifying campaign with a defeat against Angola at the Baba Yara Stadium before drawing 1-1 with Niger in Morocco, with the two games coming during the September international break.
The performance over the two games drew several criticisms from Ghanaians with Ghana settling for the third spot in Group F after the two games with just one point from a possible six.
The Black Stars have regrouped ahead of facing Sudan in a doubleheader this weekend hoping to get their campaign back on track.
Okraku visited the team’s camp on Tuesday, 8 October and urged them to avoid repeating similar mistakes from the games against Angola and Niger.
“The minimum I expect, the minimum Ghana expects is a team of boys or men who will show passion and desire to play for our country. Not when you are dribbled, and you will be seen walking on the pitch, and the ball is heading towards your net. That is impossible, I told the coach,” he said.
“It’s either you guys decide to die for Ghana…or decide you will not, then you’ll never be selected.
“Once you depart your various places and you come here and put on the shirt, naturally, that should give you the pride to fight, to show passion, to show aggression [and] to show desire to win.”
The Black Stars face Sudan at the Accra Sports Stadium on matchday three today, Thursday, 10 October, before travelling to Libya for the reverse fixture on 15 October.
Meanwhile, Coach Otto Addo has said Mohammed Kudus will lead the team for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Sudan.
The decision comes after Thomas Partey’s withdrawal from the squad for the October international window due to “medical issues.”
Quizzed by the media on who will captain the senior national team in the absence of the Arsenal midfielder, Addo announced the West Ham United man will wear the armband for the game in Accra.
Kudus has been a key figure in the national team since his debut in November 2019 against South Africa. The former Right to Dream man has scored 11 goals in 36 appearances for the Black Stars while setting up four others.
This will be the first time the 23-year-old will wear the captain’s armband for the Black Stars, and he will be hoping he can inspire the squad to turn around their campaign.
•Additional report courtesy of Joy Sports
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