By Francis Kobena Tandoh
Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz said late Monday that Ghana cannot miss out on another Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the second time in a row.
Addressing the media at the Accra Sports Stadium on day one of Black Stars’ training ahead of their AFCON qualifier against Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday, Queiroz said his immediate priority is qualification for the next continental football major tournament.
“Our journey now is to have our hands in the present; we have to qualify for African competitions, but at the same time we have our eyes in the future. Step by step, we have to plant the seeds to build a strong, capable team that will be able to qualify and compete in the World Cup,” said the former Real Madrid manager.
He added, “For Ghana, the objective is therefore clear: avoid another qualification failure and return to the continental showpiece; we have to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.”
The Black Stars failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON after finishing bottom of their qualifying group without a win, ending a run of 10 consecutive appearances at the tournament.
Ghana will begin their 2027 AFCON campaign with an away fixture against western neighbor Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké on Thursday before hosting The Gambia in Accra on Sept. 29.
The Gambia will face Somalia in the other Group C fixture on Friday, while Somalia will later host Côte d’Ivoire on Sept. 29.
The top two teams in Group C will qualify for the 2027 tournament to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
