Hindsight: Will Ghana Win the AFCON Again?
Watching Senegal celebrate a second Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in five years is bound to stir mixed emotions among Ghanaians — admiration and envy in equal measure.
Admiration, because Ghanaians understand better than most just how difficult it is to win the AFCON. Envy, because Senegal have now achieved what Ghana’s own golden generation could not.
The Black Stars are still chasing an elusive fifth continental crown, having last lifted the trophy in 1982. Since the tournament expanded to 16 teams in 1992, Ghana have failed to reclaim Africa’s biggest prize. That drought persists despite long spells of competitiveness and near misses.
Between 2008 and 2017, Ghana reached the semi-finals of the AFCON six times — in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017. Twice, in 2010 and 2015, those runs culminated in finals. Twice, the Black Stars fell just short.
The 2010 final remains a particularly painful memory. A young Ghanaian side, built around Agyemang Badu, André Ayew, Dede Ayew, Samuel Inkoom, Opoku Agyemang and Jonathan Mensah, came within minutes of glory before Mohammed Nagy “Gedo” struck late to hand Egypt the title. It was a harsh lesson for a team preparing for life beyond Michael Essien and Stephen Appiah.
Five years later, after three more semi-final appearances and a World Cup campaign, the Black Stars returned to the final in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, seemingly better prepared for redemption. What followed against Côte d’Ivoire, however, defied explanation.
Ghana struck the woodwork twice in the first half through the late Christian Atsu and André Ayew. Then, during the penalty shootout, the Black Stars surged into a commanding 2–0 lead after Wilfried Bony and Junior Gadio missed Côte d’Ivoire’s opening kicks.
One successful Ghanaian penalty would have secured the trophy. Yet inexplicably, André Ayew — Ghana’s most reliable penalty taker — was still three places away in the shooting order. Rather than bringing him forward, the technical team led by Avram Grant allowed Afriyie Acquah and Frank Acheampong to step up. Both missed. The advantage was gone, and with it, the title.
The collapse was extraordinary. Statistically, more than 98 per cent of teams that take a two-goal lead in a shootout go on to win. To lose from such a position requires perfection from the opponent and multiple failures from the team in front. Ghana managed the impossible — in the worst way.
It is experiences like these that explain why Ghanaians can admire Senegal’s recent success. The Teranga Lions succeeded where the Black Stars repeatedly failed.
The envy cuts deeper when Ghana’s drought is viewed in context. Over the past two decades, every major African football nation has celebrated continental glory. Egypt’s golden generation — featuring Mohamed Aboutrika, Mohamed Barakat, Wael Gomaa and Ahmed Hassan — claimed three titles in 2006, 2008 and 2010, twice defeating Ghana along the way.
Nigeria triumphed in 2013 with a squad led by John Obi Mikel, Victor Moses, Ahmed Musa, Ogenyi Onazi and Joseph Yobo. Côte d’Ivoire won in 2015 against Ghana, powered by Yaya Touré, Kolo Touré, Wilfried Bony, Gervinho and Serge Aurier, before lifting the trophy again in 2024 with a younger group. Algeria followed suit in 2019, inspired by Riyad Mahrez and Yacine Brahimi.
Ghana, by contrast, remain the only traditional powerhouse to reach multiple AFCON finals in the last 20 years without winning the tournament.
Recent performances offer little encouragement. The Black Stars have won just one of their last 10 AFCON matches and failed to record a single victory across their last two tournament appearances, both ending in group-stage exits.
Although Ghana have qualified for two World Cups during this period, their absence from AFCON 2025 makes any immediate talk of continental glory unrealistic.
For now, the Black Stars must focus on rebuilding consistency. The World Cup presents a starting point — but until that foundation is firmly laid, the question of winning AFCON again remains firmly in the realm of hindsight.
