“From Glory to Gloom: The Black Stars’ Decline Since the 2019 AFCON in Egypt – Gabby Ofei’s Perspective”

Once a powerhouse in African football, the Black Stars of Ghana have experienced a significant decline since their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign in Egypt. This once-feared team has faced numerous challenges, leaving fans disheartened and questioning the reasons behind their struggles.

Several factors have contributed to Ghana’s recent underperformance, including rapid changes in the team’s technical staff, a significant drop in FIFA rankings, and controversies over player selections. These issues have led to a frustrating period of disappointment across the nation.

Historically, the Black Stars were a formidable contender in AFCON tournaments, consistently reaching the latter stages from 2008 to 2017. However, the last three AFCON tournaments have marked a period of decline for the national team, raising serious concerns about the future of Ghanaian football on the international stage.

Twice, the Black Stars came agonizingly close to reclaiming African football’s ultimate prize. In 2010, Ghana reached the final but suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Egypt, who secured their seventh AFCON title. Again, in 2015, Ghana lost to Côte d’Ivoire in the final after a tense penalty shootout in Equatorial Guinea. This gut-wrenching result left the Black Stars just moments away from lifting the trophy.

In 2017, Ghana managed a fourth-place finish in Gabon but fell short once more, losing the third-place playoff to Burkina Faso. This marked the end of their consistent AFCON dominance, with subsequent years defined by underachievement and frustration for both the team and its passionate supporters.

The team’s decline became evident in the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, where they were unexpectedly knocked out in the Round of 16 following a penalty shootout loss to Tunisia. This marked the beginning of the Black Stars’ struggles in AFCON tournaments.

The situation worsened in the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon, where Ghana crashed out at the group stage. The team finished bottom of their group, collecting just a single point after a shocking 3-2 loss to debutants Comoros, ranked 118th in the world. This exit served as a harsh reminder that Ghana’s dominance in African football was fast slipping away.

At the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, played in 2024 due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Stars once again failed to progress past the group stages. Despite low expectations, the team could not muster the fighting spirit that once made them formidable.

Ghana’s recent struggles have left fans and football pundits wondering what went wrong. The Black Stars’ failure to progress has become a symbol of their decline. As the once-unshakable dominance of the Black Stars fades, it is crucial for the team to regroup and address the underlying issues to restore their former glory on the African football scene.