Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) president Kwesi Nyantakyi has called on the current Black Stars squad to showcase resilience and embody a strong sense of national pride following their elimination from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Expressing his thoughts on GTV Sports Plus, Nyantakyi, a former FIFA Executive Council member, expressed disbelief at the team's performance, resulting in their exit after finishing third in Group B with two points.
In his address, Nyantakyi emphasized the significance of instilling a sense of national duty in the players, urging them to play with pride and belief when representing the Black Stars.
Highlighting the need for additional support, he recommended the introduction of a psychologist to assist in the players' mental preparation. Nyantakyi stressed the importance of collaborative efforts between the Football Association and the government to prioritize this initiative.
"Black Stars players must understand that representing your country is like going to a war. You can die in it, and they must understand that," he asserted.
"I believe we need to instill that into the players when they are playing for the Black Stars; they must have that pride and belief.
"We should also bring in a psychologist to help the players, and this must be insisted on by the Football Association and government," he added.
Drawing inspiration from Namibia's remarkable resilience and performance, Nyantakyi underlined the need for the Black Stars to emulate such qualities.
"I watched Namibia, and I could not believe their resilience and how they played."
Ghana initiated their AFCON campaign with a 2-1 loss to Cape Verde, followed by two consecutive 2-2 draws in their final group stage matches.
