Black Stars team

Nigeria international, Alex Iwobi has expressed his disappointment in Ghana’s early exit during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.

The Black Stars, who were chasing the fifth continental title suffered a group phase exit for the second consecutive time.

Ghana lost its opening group game to Cape Verde before drawing 2-2 with both Egypt and Mozambique respectively.

Reacting to Ghana’s group-stage exit, Iwobi said it was a shame and admitted he was sad to see the Black Stars eliminated so early.

Alex Iwobi

“There’s a lot of rivalry between us two, there’s a lot of people that I respect in Ghana, so, like I would like them to do well,” the Nigeria midfielder said, as quoted by 3Sports.

“I have a lot of friends outside the team that are Ghanaians, so it’s like you want them to do well so you can play against them and prove a point in the competition. But it’s a shame because the way they exited with the sort of players they had was a bit sad to see. And obviously, because we were in the same hotel, we can see how devastated they were.”

Meanwhile, Ghana part of their preparations for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers faced Nigeria and Uganda in friendly games at the Stade de Marrakesh. The Black Stars lost 2-1 to the Super Eagles before drawing 2-2 with the Cranes.

Ghana will face Mali on June 3 before hosting the Central African Republic at the Baba Yara Stadium on June 10. 

Otto Addo’s side who sit 4th in Group I with 3 points must win the games to enhance their chances of qualification to the Mundial.

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