The captain of the Black Stars on Tuesday, 30 January, released a video where he was seen apologising to Ghanaians for the team’s early exit from the ongoing AFCON.

The Black Stars of Ghana blew away a two-goal lead against Egypt in their third and final group game which earned them one point in a 2 vs. 2 stalemate. One of the blunders that led to the comeback of the Egyptians, was the outstretched arm of Andre Ayew giving a penalty to the Pharaohs. The draw ended the team’s hope of qualifying to the next stage of the competition.

The captain released a video on Tuesday to apologise for the team’s performance and their inability to qualify to the round of 16. He stated that:

“These past days have been very difficult for every Ghanaian, every Ghanaian football fan, and myself. I’d like to apologise for the results in the AFCON that we just exited. We know that we should have done better, that we should have got better results too.”

“To the nation, as the captain of the squad, I take full responsibility for what happened on the pitch. For the playing body, we should have done better, we should have made sure that we bring results to our nation. In football, these are things that happen, these are things that make you stronger, and what doesn’t kill you makes you become a stronger person individually and collectively.”

“We are Ghana, and everybody who knows me knows that I’m never going to give up, meaning we are never going to give up. We are going to rise and shine again. We are going to do that as a family,”

Ghana has competed in three official tournaments since 2021: Cameroon AFCON 2021 (played in 2022), World Cup Qatar 2022, and Cote D’Ivoire AFCON 2023 (played in 2024). The best points the team has managed to pick up is three points in three group games during the World Cup in Qatar.