Former Ghana attacker Osei: Difficult for Black Stars to win Afcon

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The West Africans have been tipped to play catch-up for the continental title in Cameroon next year

Former Ghana international Michael Osei reckons the Black Stars currently trail in the race to become African champions in 2021.

When the Africa Cup of Nations takes place in Cameroon next year, the four-time champions could be seeking to conquer the continent for the first time since 1982

New Black Stars coach CK Akonnor has been tasked to lead the team to victory.

“It will be very difficult to win the Afcon title next year," Osei said on Happy FM.

“There are some countries who are ahead of us and their players are playing consistently for their clubs.

“For him [Akonnor] to win we all have to support him, the playing body and the technical team to make this possible."

Ghana first won Afcon in 1963 before making it two in a row in 1965.

After a 1978 success on home soil, the Black Stars beat Libya on penalties to claim their fourth title in 1982.

“It’s not about me. It’s about us," Akonnor recently told TV3.

"Over 30 years we’ve not won Afcon. I don’t want to be just another coach who comes in to manage Ghana and goes and then it’s the same story.

"I want us to work and make an impact, be relevant.”

In 1992, the Black Stars finished second, losing to Cote d’Ivoire in a penalty shoot-out. In 1996, Ghana reached the semi-finals again, this time placing fourth after falling to Zambia in a third-place play-off.

The West Africans finished third and second respectively in 2008 and 2010 before making consecutive fourth-placed appearances at Gabon/Equatorial Guinea in 2012 and South Africa 2013.

At Equatorial Guinea 2015, Ghana, under former Chelsea coach Avram Grant, came mighty close once again, this time losing to Cote d’Ivoire on penalties in the final once more.

In 2017, the Black Stars ended the tournament in fourth position but failed to make the quarter-finals of the championship for the first time since 2006 at Egypt 2019, where they succumbed to Tunisia on penalties in the Round of 16.

Ghana are on course to compete in Cameroon next year as they currently top the table in qualifying Group C.

2020-05-15 23:00:04

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