Former Ghana midfielder Michael Essien has described the Ghana national team’ failure to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations as a major setback, but says the team must quickly look ahead.
Ghana endured a difficult qualifying campaign, going ahead to finish bottom of their group after six matches without a win.
The team managed three draws and suffered three defeats, missing out on the tournament in Morocco for the first time in more than 20 years.
Speaking to FIFA.com, Essien admitted the outcome was painful but stressed the importance of moving forward.
“Of course it was a big disappointment, but in football, you have to move on from that,” he said.
“The good thing in football is you always have the next game to make things right,” he added.
Despite the setback, Ghana have responded by securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
It will be the country’s fifth appearance at the global showpiece, where they have been placed in Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama.
Ghana will open their campaign against Panama on 17 June, before facing England on 23 June and Croatia on 27 June.
By: Pascal Amoah
