Southampton winger Kamaldeen Sulemana says the playing body of the Black Stars has accepted responsibility for failing to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
Ghana, who are four-time winners of the AFCON for the first time in two decades, will not compete at the tournament, which will be hosted in Morocco later this year.
The Black Stars finished at the bottom of their group with just three points, having recorded three defeats and three draws after the qualifiers.
Speaking to Showmax, Sulemana admitted that they have been poor after exiting at the group phase of the back-to-back in the last two editions of the AFCON.
He added that the playing body has accepted responsibility for failing to qualify for this year’s edition of the tournament.
“We also didn’t perform well in the last two AFCON tournaments, so we were hoping to make this year a great one,” the 23-year-old said.
“We as players take the blame and take full responsibility for not qualifying, and we have apologised to the country and our fans.
“We want to do well in the World Cup qualifiers and in the World Cup,” he added.
Despite the disappointment, the Black Stars are on course to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
