Kwesi Appiah, the former coach of Ghana’s national football team, reflected on the unfortunate turn of events surrounding Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Speaking about the shock result in Sudan’s qualification campaign on BBC Sport Africa, Appiah expressed disappointment over Ghana’s inability to make the cut, highlighting the significance of the moment.
“It’s really unfortunate because everybody thought Ghana would have qualified,” he said, reflecting on the unexpected outcomes in their qualification matches.
Appiah, who had coached Ghana at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, recalled a time when he made a statement that “football is coming of age,” showing his optimism for the sport’s growth in Africa.
However, the 0-0 draw in Accra and the 2-0 loss in Benghazi were results that played a key role in Ghana’s failure to qualify for a Nations Cup for the first time in 20 years.
Having experienced the pressures of coaching both Ghana and Sudan, Appiah emphasized the need for professionalism in the face of conflict.
“Once you are a professional, you look at where you’re working,” he noted, explaining his decision to step aside from his Ghana FA executive role when the two teams were in the same qualification group.
He also expressed sympathy for Ghana’s current coach, Otto Addo, comparing the nation’s footballing expectations to those of England.
“Ghana is like England,” Appiah stated. “If England does not qualify for Europe or the World Cup, it’s a big, big issue.”
For Ghana, not qualifying for AFCON is seen as a monumental failure, one that carries immense pressure on the coach and the team.
