AFCON 2023: We compared our team to others and we knew we had a chance to progress — GFA Communications Director

The Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Henry Asante Twum, has shared insights into the mindset of the national team, the Black Stars, prior to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 in Ivory Coast.

Despite the team's confidence in their preparation and potential, they faced a disappointing early exit from the tournament.

Speaking to the media, Twum expressed the team's optimism before the tournament, believing in the preparation and the quality of both the technical team and the selected players.

He emphasized that a thorough comparison with other participating teams led them to believe they had a solid chance to progress in the competition.

"I am sure when we were going to this tournament, we were upbeat about our chances because we believed that the team prepared well," Twum stated.

"We knew we had put in place a good technical team and we knew the players selected for the tournament were good enough.

“We had compared our side to our teams, and we knew we had a good chance to progress in the tournament."

However, the Black Stars failed to meet expectations, securing only two points from three group stage matches.

They suffered a defeat to Cape Verde in the opening match and subsequently managed two 2-2 draws against Egypt and Mozambique, leading to their elimination.

Twum acknowledged the unexpected challenges faced during the tournament, pointing out factors that affected the team's performance.

"When you cast your mind back to the game against Egypt and Mozambique, you could see certain factors affected our performance and that prevented us from qualifying for the next round of the tournament," he explained.

Following the disappointing campaign, the Ghana Football Association took swift action by parting ways with head coach Chris Hughton and his technical team.

A five-member committee is currently working to recommend a new coach to the GFA's Executive Council, with reports suggesting that Otto Addo is a frontrunner for the vacant coaching position.