2024: Ghana’s unwanted ‘firsts’ in a difficult Sports year

As 2024 draws to a close, Ghanaian football enthusiasts will have have a grim look on their faces when they look back.

What should have been a year of promise had a number of unwanted statistics characterizing it.

The turn of the year saw Africa converge for the biennial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Ivory Coast.

That tournament was the beginning of the end for Ghana in a difficult year.

3Sports takes a look back at some of the unwanted ‘firsts’ in 2024.

 

AFCON disaster, first back-to-back group stage exit

In 2021, Ghana bowed out of the AFCON in the Group stages – a first time time in 16 years.

However, never in Ghana’s illustrious African history had the nation exited the AFCON in successive editions in the first round (group stage).

In Ivory Coast, the worst befell Ghana. The Black Stars exited the group stage without winning a single game after losing to Cape Verde and drawing against Egypt and Mozambique.

Never had this catastrophic event happened in the history of Ghana football.

The previous times Ghana failed to cross the group stage hurdle were 1980, 1984, 1998 & 2006.

Ghana had previously failed to make it pass the group stage four times, but in the last two editions, the Black Stars are halfway to their previous total tally.

Ghana’s limp group stage exit did not sit well with the people back home who expressed their displeasure.

The coach of the team, Chris Hughton was dismissed immediately after Ghana’s elimination.

 

Ghana miss out on Olympics boxing, first time in 20 years

After Dr. Onella Sathoud lost her women’s round 16 bout in the last World Boxing Qualifying Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, the fate of Ghana was officially sealed.

After series of bouts, Theophilus Allotey and Dr. Onella Sathoud were the last representatives for Ghana.

However, their efforts were futile as the Black Bombers and Hitters failed to qualify for the Olympic Games for the first time since Athens 2004.

Sathoud was bidding to become the first Ghanaian female boxer to participate in the Olympics.

The 51 qualification slots were being contested by 579 competitors from 13 nations. Ghana entered the tournament with seven boxers (six men and one woman).

The failure marked a major setback for amateur boxing in Ghana, which had been a beacon of hope at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when Samuel Takyi won a bronze medal, ending Ghana’s medal drought dating back to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

The boxers who were vying for a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics include, Amadu Mohammed (Featherweight), Henry Malm (Light-Middleweight), Jonathan Tetteh (Heavyweight), Mark Kojovi Ahondjo (Super-Heavyweight), Theophilus Kpakpo Allotey,Joseph Commey (Featherweight) and Dr. Onella Sathoud.

 

Angola beat Ghana 1-0 in AFCON qualifiers, first Black Stars loss in Kumasi in 24 years

Angola forward Milson was at the right place at the right time to score a late goal as they beat Ghana 1-0 in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers.

The win marked Ghana’s first defeat at the Baba Yara Stadium in 24 years.

The Black Stars’ last defeat at the ground dated back to 2000 during the AFCON when South Africa beat Ghana.

Ghana suffered an unexpected and uncharacteristic defeat, raising questions of the commitment of players.

 

Calamitous AFCON 2025 campaign, first AFCON qualification failure in 20 years

Never ever has Ghana football been badly hit as this.

Since Jimmy Gatete broke the heart of Ghanaians in the lead-up to the 2004 AFCON, Ghana participated in 10 straight AFCON competitions until the 2025 qualifiers happened.

The Black Stars looked completely off the pace in the qualifying rounds.

Drawing against Angola, Niger and Sudan, Ghana failed to win a game in the group, finishing the qualifiers at the bottom of group F, picking up three points out of a possible nine.

Since 2019, the caveat has been there for all to see.

The last time Ghana made it to the knockout stage of the AFCON was in 2019, then came a group stage exit in 2021, followed by another group stage exit in 2023 and now failure to make it to the main tournament.

For the first time since the tournament took place in Tunisia in 2004, Ghana will be left out of the convergence of the continent‘s finest.

The plethora of stars at Ghana’s disposal should have ideally seen them as one of the favourites at Morocco, but rather the Black Stars will watch from the comforts of their sofas.

 

First time failing to win a game in the AFCON qualifiers

After Ghana wrapped up their final game of the 2025 AFCON qualifying campaign at the Accra Sports Stadium in November, the group read: Ghana – three draws, three defeats, zero wins.

Ghana managed to pick a point from all opponents, drawing with Niger (1-1), Angola (1-1), and Sudan (0-0).

Rather uncharacteristic of the Black Stars, who are known for their die-hard nature, they looked lethargic and disinterested in all the games, leading to Ghana failing to win a single game in the qualifying round of the AFCON for a first-ever time.

 

Ghana finish 2024 ranked 77th by FIFA, first time in 20 years

The lowest ebb Ghana football has been in the last two decades, clearly depicted in the FIFA rankings.

Ghana finished the year ranked 77th in the world, the worst since 2004.

The culminating point of AFCON the 2023 AFCON group stage exit, plus two wins all year, and failing to qualify for the 2025 AFCON accounted for this.

The post 2024: Ghana’s unwanted ‘firsts’ in a difficult Sports year first appeared on 3News.

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