Black Stars Technical Advisor, Winfried Schäfer, has described Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as a “catastrophe.”
For the first time in two decades, the four-time African champions will miss out on the continent’s premier tournament, scheduled to take place in Morocco later this year.
Ghana endured a disappointing qualifying campaign, recording just a few draws and three losses in six matches—finishing bottom of their group. The outcome sparked nationwide disappointment and calls for the dismissal of head coach Otto Addo.
Schäfer, who previously led Cameroon to AFCON glory, was appointed technical advisor ahead of Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Madagascar. Speaking to Germany’s Sächsische Zeitung, as reported by AfricaSoccer.com, the veteran coach did not mince words.
“The team had missed the Africa Cup—something considered a catastrophe in Ghana,” he stated.
“There was unrest in the squad, World Cup qualification wasn’t going well, and the president of the federation asked me to come in and bring some structure,” he added.
Despite the AFCON setback, the Black Stars showed signs of improvement with back-to-back wins against Chad and Madagascar in March.
The team will next regroup for a four-nation tournament in the UK later this month before resuming their World Cup qualifying campaign in September with matches against Chad and Mali.
READ ALSO