Kwasi Sibo: Ghana must qualify for 2027 Africa Cup of Nations

Black Stars midfielder Kwasi Sibo says Ghana must qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations after missing out on the previous tournament in Morocco.

Ghana failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON, bringing an end to the country's long-standing run of appearances at the continental competition.

The Black Stars begin their Group C campaign with a difficult away fixture against Côte d'Ivoire at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké on 24 September.

They will then return home to face The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on 27 September as head coach Carlos Queiroz begins his latest assignment with the national team.

Sibo, who was part of Ghana's squad at the 2026 World Cup, says securing qualification must be the team's immediate priority.

“The only thing I have in mind is we have to qualify for this AFCON, because I think the last AFCON that we didn't qualify for was a big disappointment for all Ghanaians,” Sibo told the media after the team opened camp on Monday.

“When it comes to African history, the Ghana national team is one of the African teams that even in the world everybody knows about how passionate Ghana football is, so I just feel like this is the right time that we have to make things right.”

Sibo also praised Queiroz, describing the Portuguese coach as disciplined and tactically astute in his approach to matches.

“What I would say is he's a very disciplined coach and a very tactical coach. He approaches every game by what he sees from the opponent,” he said.

However, the midfielder believes there is still significant room for improvement within the Black Stars, both as a team and individually.

“So I think we are playing under him; there are things that I feel like we can improve as a team and as individuals,” Sibo added.

Queiroz was reappointed by the Ghana Football Association in September after initially leading the Black Stars at the 2026 World Cup.

His new mandate begins with the AFCON qualifiers, with Ghana aiming to return to the continental tournament after their absence from the 2025 edition.

Sibo also welcomed competition for places within the squad, saying it can motivate players to improve their performances.

“I just believe that this team, we need to be competitive every time in the team, so if we have players that play in the same position, I think it's something that is very good for each and everyone in the team to push ourselves so that we can give the best to the nation,” he said.

Sibo started Ghana's World Cup matches against England, Croatia and Colombia.

After the AFCON qualifiers, Ghana will complete the international window with a friendly against Morocco at the Grand Stade de Tanger on 4 October.