GFA boss Kurt Okraku addresses Black Stars’ AFCON qualification failure

Image of Kurt Okraku addressing Black Stars players

The president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku, has acknowledged the hard lessons learned from the Black Stars’ disappointing failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

For the first time in 20 years, the four-time African champions will miss out on the continent’s biggest football tournament.

The Black Stars endured a difficult qualification campaign, finishing at the bottom of their group with just three points after six matches, three defeats and three draws. Their 2024 campaign concluded with only two victories, against Mali and the Central African Republic.

As the team prepares to regroup for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Okraku admitted the setback has been a learning experience for everyone involved.

Speaking to 3Sports, he said, “I think hard lessons have been learnt by everybody, me included.

“I hope that the players, technical team and everybody within the space will definitely not be happy and that will be a motivation for all of us as far as our responsibilities to the nation is concerned,” he added.

The Black Stars will resume training on Monday, March 17, 2025, in Accra as they gear up for crucial World Cup qualifiers.

Ghana will face Chad at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday, March 21, before traveling to Morocco for a Group I clash against Madagascar on Monday, March 24, 2025.