Former Black Stars striker Majeed Waris has expressed his disappointment and shame over Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The team’s dismal performance, which included a six-game winless streak, left them at the bottom of Group F with just three points, allowing Angola and Sudan to secure the top two spots and earn qualification for the continental event in Morocco.
Majeed Waris, who played for the Black Stars from 2012 to 2019, described the team’s failure to qualify as “a shame to the nation”.
In an interview with JoySports, he said: “I think it is a shame to all of us and I feel like something needs to be done. Everyone is hurt and we are not going to feel it that much now, but when it’s time for the tournament, when you see the countries arriving for the tournament and then the joy, happiness that it brings into the country, that’s when the country [Ghana] will feel it more.”
This is the first time Ghana has missed the AFCON since 2004, and the team’s poor performance has put coach Otto Addo under pressure, with his future yet to be decided by the Ghana Football Association.
Waris’ comments reflect the widespread disappointment and frustration among Ghanaian football fans, who are calling for changes to be made to ensure the team’s success in future tournaments.