The Black Stars of Ghana, one of Africa’s most storied football teams, have had their share of triumphs and disappointments.
While the nation has won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) four times, there have been instances when they failed to qualify for the tournament.
Here are the seven times Ghana’s Black Stars did not make it to AFCON.
AFCON 1972 (Cameroon)
Ghana, the defending champions from 1965 and 1968, surprisingly failed to qualify for the 1972 edition. The qualification process was tough, and Ghana was eliminated by Togo in the preliminary rounds. The tournament in Cameroon saw Congo-Brazzaville win their first title.
AFCON 1974 (Egypt)
The Black Stars missed out on the 1974 tournament after being eliminated by Ivory Coast in the qualifiers.
This edition was notable for Zaire (now DR Congo) winning the title, becoming the first sub-Saharan African team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup later that year.
AFCON 1982 (Libya)
Ghana failed to qualify for the 1982 tournament after being eliminated by Nigeria in the qualifiers.
Despite this setback, the tournament saw Ghana’s neighbours, Nigeria, reach the final, only to lose to Libya.
AFCON 1986 (Egypt)
The Black Stars did not qualify for the 1986 edition after being knocked out by Ivory Coast in the qualifiers.
Egypt hosted and won the tournament, marking their third AFCON title.
AFCON 1994 (Tunisia)
Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 1994 AFCON was a significant disappointment. The Black Stars were eliminated by Algeria in the qualifiers.
The tournament in Tunisia was won by Nigeria, who claimed their second AFCON title.
AFCON 2004 (Tunisia)
Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2004 AFCON was a major shock. The West African powerhouse was eliminated by Rwanda in the qualifiers.
Tunisia hosted and won the tournament, claiming their first AFCON title.
AFCON 2025 (Morocco)
Most recently, Ghana failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON after a disappointing campaign. They were held to a 1-1 draw by Angola in their penultimate match, which confirmed their elimination.
This marks the first time in 20 years that Ghana will miss the tournament, a significant setback for the four-time champions who were eliminated in group stage of the most recent AFCON (Ivory Coast 2023) in the group stage.
The 2025 AFCON will mark the 35th edition of the continent’s biggest football tournament.
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