Former Ghana striker Augustine Ahinful has sparked a heated debate by attributing the Black Stars’ recent Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) failures to a pervasive “arrogance” within the team.
In a candid interview with Asempa FM, the 49-year-old, capped 20 times between 1995 and 2000, didn’t mince words in his assessment of the team’s dismal performance.
“I’ve played for the Black Stars and worn the Ghana jersey with pride ,”Augustine Ahinful stated. “I wouldn’t want to see them fail, but there’s a bit of arrogance around the team that needs to be addressed.”
His remarks come on the heels of a humiliating AFCON exit for Ghana, their second consecutive without a single victory. The Black Stars’ losses to Cape Verde and draws against Egypt and Mozambique triggered widespread disappointment and calls for a complete overhaul.
The Ghana Football Association responded swiftly, sacking coach Chris Hughton and dissolving the entire technical team. A dedicated five-member committee has been formed with the urgent task of finding a new coach within three weeks, signaling a strong commitment to rebuilding the national team from scratch.
Ahinful’s statement, while critical, also betrays a deep-seated passion for Ghanaian football. His words serve as a stark wake-up call, urging the Black Stars to shed any perceived arrogance and refocus on the core values of hard work, dedication, and humility. Only by rediscovering these fundamental principles can the team hope to reclaim its former glory and silence its critics.