Black Stars will win 2023 Africa Cup of Nations - Henry Asante Twum

Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Henry Asante Twum has unequivocally said the Black Stars will annex the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.

Ghana have gone 42 years without lifting the envious trophy. The four-time African champions last won the trophy in 1982 in Libya.

With the Black Stars set to compete at the 34th edition of the AFCON in less than a week, ​​​​​​​Mr Asante Twum speaking on GHOne TV stated that national teams always pull surprises when all hopes are lost.

According to him, with the materials available and with the technical team in place, the sole aim of the team is to win the trophy.

“Anytime I speak to issues about our goal people say it is laughable. But in 2012 when Zambia were coming to the AFCON nobody thought they would make an impact or win the tournament. When Nigeria was going to South Africa for the AFCON nobody, 99 per cent of Nigerians had no belief or trust in the team but they won the AFCON.

“When Ivory Coast beat us in the 2015 AFCON final in Equatorial Guinea the whole nation did not believe they could do it. Because before they departed Ivory Coast to Equatorial Guinea the team had a lot of issues. There were no unity, and player issues here and there. But when they came to the tournament the players psyched themselves and the coach did a good job. They went all the way to the final and beat Ghana on penalties.

“We believe we’ve got one of the best materials on the continent. We believe we have a good manager in place even though he doesn’t have AFCON experience. With these players, we can do anything in the competition.

“So our goal is to go to Cote d’Ivoire and win every game to be able to lift the trophy. It will not be easy and the African game has come of age and a lot of teams have improved over the period. But we know it is possible,” he added.

The Black Stars who are currently in Kumasi will test their readiness for the tournament in a friendly against Namibia on January 8 before departing for Ivory Coast two days later.

Ghana is in Group B for the tournament and will face Cape Verde, Egypt and Mozambique. The Black Stars will first come up against Cape Verde at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on January 14, 2024, then face Egypt at the same venue four days later and then Mozambique at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium on January 22, 2024.