Ghana and LA Galaxy winger, Joseph Paintsil, has expressed his disappointment over the Black Stars’ failure to qualify for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025. Speaking with The BAC Sports Channel, Paintsil acknowledged the expectations of Ghanaians and the emotional toll the absence from the tournament has taken on both the players and the fans.
“I feel a little bit sad, I feel a little bit worried because especially for Ghanaians, their expectation was really high for us to qualify for the AFCON,” Paintsil said. “But unfortunately, we couldn’t make it. They are a little bit sad, depressed, unhappy, but one thing they need to know is football is always football.”
The Black Stars, historically one of Africa’s most dominant footballing nations, have struggled in recent years to replicate the success of the past. Paintsil reflected on the golden era of Ghanaian football, invoking memories of legendary players like Asamoah Gyan and Sulley Muntari, who inspired confidence whenever they faced so-called smaller nations.
“Ten years ago, when you see Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari, and all these kind of great players that played in the national team, when they met maybe Madagascar or other teams, people asked, ‘How many did we score?’—not the result, but how many goals were scored,” he said.
However, Paintsil noted that, the dynamics of African football have shifted significantly. Many nations now have players competing in Europe’s top leagues, making every encounter fiercely competitive.
“This time it’s not anymore because now every country has a player who represents themselves in the European top flight. So, you know, playing against them wouldn’t be an easy game,” he explained.
The MLS Cup winner, stressed that qualifying for major tournaments like AFCON is no longer solely about individual player quality but about cohesion and effectiveness as a team.
“It’s not just based on the quality of the players. You can have the players, but sometimes you won’t have the results needed. You cannot have the players, but you will have the results. It doesn’t matter what the players play; it matters about how effective we need to come together and give everything,” he said. “Even though we are doing that, the results are not coming. That doesn’t mean we are not doing our work well.”
The AFCON 2025 final draw was held in Morocco on Monday, January 27, 2025, with the tournament set to take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.