Calls for Ghana to withdraw from AFCON qualifiers 'senseless' - Mohammed Polo

Ghana legend Mohammed Polo has described calls for the Black Stars to withdraw from the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers as “senseless”.

The four-time African champions have endured a disastrous start to their Group C campaign, losing to Ivory Coast and The Gambia to leave them bottom of the group without a point after two matches.

The poor results have led to calls for the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the team’s handlers to consider withdrawing from the qualifiers for the tournament, which will be hosted in East Africa.

However, Polo, who helped Ghana win the 1978 AFCON, believes the Black Stars must instead return to the drawing board and find solutions to their problems ahead of their next qualifiers against Somalia in November.

“I don’t think it’s the right thing to do. No, that is not the right thing,” Polo told Citi Sports.

“You’ve been beating some people before. They went back to the drawing board and found solutions. So, if they are now coming to beat you, you should go back to the drawing board and find solutions.

“And the solution is within us. We have to find the solution within us. The quality of our players today is different from that of two years ago. It’s different.”

Polo also believes Ghana need a technically capable coach who can improve the current crop of players and bring out their full potential.

“We need a technical person who can help them and add some value to what they have,” he said.

“But withdrawing from the competition is senseless. It doesn’t make sense.”

The Black Stars will look to revive their qualifying campaign when they face Somalia in a double-header at the Accra Sports Stadium in November.

Ghana are already at serious risk of missing a second successive AFCON tournament after failing to qualify for the 2025 edition in Morocco.