Why Twum Boafo believes Ghana won't go beyond group stage of 2023 AFCON

Kwadwo Twum Boafo, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority has cast doubt about Ghana’s chances of impressing at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, citing Chris Hughton’s poor record as the basis for his position.

While the leading member of the National Democratic Congress rates highly most members of the 27 invited players for the AFCON, he clouds doubts about the ability of coach Chris Hughton to set up the team in a way that will allow them to navigate the tricky Group B pairings.

He believes that the Black Stars have regressed under Chris Hughton and that a decision should have been made on his position in the aftermath of Ghana’s 1-0 defeat to Comoros in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

In a conversation with GhanaWeb, Twum Boafo questioned why Ghanaian players who are hitting good numbers at club level seem to struggle when it comes to the national teams.

He noted for example that Egypt who are being led by Liverpool winger, Mohammed Salah will prove too big a challenge for Chris Hughton’s Black Stars.

There is a fundamental breakdown in what the coach thinks his job description is. His job is to win the AFCON and qualify us to the World Cup. We won’t get past the first round. Is Chris Hughton going to beat Mo Salah and Egypt? Is he going to beat Mozambique? If you can't beat Comoros, how can you beat Mozambique?”.

Twum Boafo however made some recommendations that he believes if adopted by Chris Hughton will see Ghana finish among the best in the tournament.

An example of such tactical counsel offered by the avid Liverpool fan is the maximization of Mohammed Kudus’ assets.

In his view, Kudus has never fluffed in a Ghana jersey and there must be a conscious effort and a tactical approach by the Black Stars to get him into areas where his dribbling and ball-striking qualities will be maximized effectively.

Speaking to GhanaWeb in an interview, the former CEO of the Ghana Free Zones Authority placed Kudus ahead of any other football talent produced by the country since the iconic Abedi Pele.

He argues that while some talented players have popped up over the year, none of them of had the hunger, determination and verve shown by Kudus in his football journey so far.

“Kudus is a multi-talented and multi-functional player. I don’t want to sound controversial and disrespectful of other talents but I don’t think we’ve had better players play for the Black Stars since Abedi Pele. Mohammed Kudus is a star.

“He has more verve, more aggressive and more of a willingness to succeed than others. Talent is not everything. Kwadwo Asamoah is one of the most talented players I have ever seen. When he was at Liberty Professionals, we tried to get him to play for Hearts but he was already on his way out.

“I think Kwadwo Asamoah will admit today that he underachieved. The Kwadwo Asamoah who took our qualification series in 2014 by the scruff of the neck will admit that despite the successes in Europe, he didn’t not really achieve with the Black Stars.

“Kudus is aggressive and that is the secret behind his success. Everywhere he has been to, there has been the question of who he is going to bench but he always succeeds,” he said.