Sports
Exorcising the ‘losing demons’ in 2023
● Meteors celebrating a goal against Mozambique in their last game
Ghana football experienced a topsy-turvy ride in the just-ended year, leaving in its wake tears, anguish and despair.
It is not an all-too unfamiliar path for Ghana football, anyway. The nation’s game has for a while suffered a slump, recording results that would easily turn the uninitiated away from the sport.
Last year alone, the national 17 female and male football teams failed to qualify for major continental competitions. The Under-20 female side – Black Princesses, managed to clinch a ticket to the World Cup in India but were hugely humiliated as they lost all games by wider margins.
Our Black Stars did the nation some pride, edging out arch rivals Nigeria to qualify for the recently-ended World Cup in Qatar only to crash out in the opening round – a near replica of their calamitous 2014 first round exit in Brazil.
At club level, the nation’s Gullivers – Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak, were bundled out of their respective continental campaigns as they failed to reach the Money Zone.
Heartily, boxing and athletics stole a medicum of glory with five medals at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games – the pugilistic sport snatching three medals. It was quite worth celebrating, especially when only one medal was won in the previous quadrennial sporting festival in Australia.
This month – specifically from January 13, Ghana’s locally-assembled stars known as the Black Galaxies, will be representing the country at the now-popular Championship of African Nations (CHAN) tournament in Algeria, having been flung into a taxing group that consists of Morocco, Madagascar and the Sudan.
It is the team’s fourth championship but so far has nothing to shown for honour despite having finished second in the competition’s maiden even held in Cote d’Ivoire as far back as 2009.
This term, the Galaxies have demonstrated strong intent of winning the trophy for the first time, signals that were picked from their preparatory games – after eliminating rivals Nigeria in the final qualifier.
Camped in Egypt to sharpen their arsenal for battle, the Galaxies last week thrashed Egyptian club giants 3-1 in a dominant performance, having earlier accounted for Egypt’s national Under-20 team 2-0.
With the mood in the country quite low and despairing, we can only count on the spangling ‘local boys’ to restore the smiles on the faces of Ghanaians following the disappointment of the Black Stars in Qatar.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) must do its damnedest to ensure that we exorcise the demons of defeat that has haunted the nation’s passion and this should start with success at the Algeria CHAN tournament.
Having showed such strong promise in the series of games they have played – right from the qualifiers to this stage, all that the Galaxies need now is self-confidence. The team must believe in themselves; have the assurance that they can conquer all that cross their path.
That intrinsic motivation and those coming from the GFA and the government should be enough to do the trick.
By John Vigah
Sports
Black Starlets arrives in Morocco on U-17 AFCON mission …FA boss charges team to make Ghana proud
The Black Starlets, the national U-17 male team, have safely arrived in Casablanca ahead of the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The team departed Accra on Wednesday, travelling with a 35-man contingent made up of 21 players and 14 officials, all focused on delivering a strong campaign on the continental stage.
They completed a smooth five-hour flight to Morocco, where final preparations will continue before the tournament kicks off.
The technical team is expected to fine-tune tactics and build cohesion among the squad as they gear up for the competition.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Mr Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, was present at the Accra International Airport to bid farewell to the team.
Speaking during a brief farewell at the Airport, the FA President urged the team to carry a ‘never say die’ spirit into the competition.
President Simeon-Okraku emphasised the importance of mental strength and unity, particularly in difficult moments during matches. His message was inspired by the team’s recent friendly encounters against Cote d’Ivoire, where they bounced back strongly after an initial defeat.
“I’m very happy that when you lost to Cote d’Ivoire in your first game during your friendly matches, you were able to bounce back—not only to dominate but to outscore them in the second game,” he said. “I read a lot of meaning into that, and I want all of you to keep that in your heads—that, it’s not over until it’s all over,” he added.
The FA president stressed that the ability to respond positively to setbacks would be crucial in a tournament as competitive as the AFCON.
He encouraged the players to stay united and support one another when the pressure intensifies on the continental stage.
“When the chips are down, that’s when we need to hold each other together,” Okraku added. “So go out there and make Ghana proud.”
Ghana will compete in Group D alongside Algeria, Senegal, and South Africa, with their opening match scheduled for Thursday, May 14.
Twenty-three (23) players have been called up for this month’s international friendly against Mexico.
The squad is composed of star players from the domestic league and European leagues who are closely monitored by Coach Carlos Queiroz, as well as U-23 players who will soon represent Ghana in the upcoming Olympic Games qualifiers.
Notable names include Majeed Ashimeru, Felix Afena-Gyan, Razak Simpson, and Birmingham City’s Ibrahim Osman.
Ashimeru returns to action after a long spell on the sidelines due to a muscle injury that limited his appearances at both club and national level.
Also in the team is Felix Afena-Gyan, whose last appearance for Ghana was in May last year when he featured against Trinidad and Tobago in the Unity Cup in London.
Barcelona B’s Abdul Aziz Issah, Ebenezer Annan of AS Saint-Étienne, Ibrahim Osman of Birmingham City, and Paul Reverson of Ajax FC have also been included in the squad.
Midfielder Salim Adams, one of the key players for Ghana Premier League leaders Medeama SC, leads the group of home-based players.
Others are Heart of Lions’ Ebenezer Abban, Ebenezer Adade of Dreams FC, and Nations FC captain Razak Simpson. Ghana will travel to Mexico for the international friendly on Friday, May 22, 2026.
