Veronica Commey, a well-known sports journalist, has expressed her sadness and heartbreak over the Black Stars’ inability to earn a spot in the 2025 AFCON.
She spoke candidly about Ghanaian football’s current plight during her appearance on Joy News’ PM Express on November 18, calling it a wake-up call for the sport’s authorities.
“I am heartbroken, but not because I’m a Ghanaian…first of all, I’m a football fan. What it means is that I will be disappointed if we are unable to qualify for major competitions,” she began, reflecting the collective sentiment of a nation.
This setback is a sharp contrast to Ghana’s glory since the national football team has not qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations since 2004.
After the Black Stars’ elimination in the 2019 Round of 16 and subsequent group-stage losses in competitions, Ms. Commey stressed how their performance has been steadily declining.
“We have been emphasising this since 2008. We made six semifinals, with two of them being finals. We would have expected to get better, but after 2019, it has been alarm bells all the way,” she stated.
Ms Commey believes the warning signs were evident long before the Black Stars’ recent failure.
She described the team’s inconsistent results in the AFCON campaign and World Cup qualifying as signs of more serious problems in Ghanaian football.
“When we started the qualifiers, it all looked good because we beat Mali and came home to win. But when we took off on the AFCON campaign, it was all telling,” she explained, referencing losses to Angola and Niger, as well as a draw with Sudan.
These performances, in her opinion, highlighted structural issues that had been disregarded for too long.
“The alarm bells were sounding every day about the fact that there is something wrong,” she lamented.
Despite her heartbreak, Ms Commey viewed this failure as an opportunity for reflection and reform.
“If this is the lowest ever we need to get to so that those who are at the helm of our affairs, or those who care about football, would want to have a sit-down and look inward, then so be it,” she declared.
She urged all parties involved—from officials to supporters—to evaluate the situation of football in the nation objectively.
“If we don’t have a genuine look at what we can do, then days like this will keep happening,” she warned.
Ms Commey stated the far-reaching impact of football success on the nation’s morale.
“In reality, when the Black Stars or the national team starts doing well, it positively affects all of us,” she said.
The pride and solidarity the squad brings to the nation are just as much of a disappointment as the game itself.
She made the explicit request that Ghanaian football be restructured.
“Something is wrong, and until we admit it and take steps to fix it, this decline will continue,” she concluded.
Source: myjoyonline.com