‘The FA is in a mess’ – Mike Lahoud, Reo-Coker react to Black Stars missing AFCON 2025

Sierra Leonean football star Michael Lahoud and former English midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker have expressed shock over Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 36th edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be hosted in Morocco in 2025.

Speaking on CBS Sports Golazo, the retired stars, who are now pundits, assessed the cause of the decline of Ghana’s senior national team and the resulting impact on the nation.

Lahoud attributed Ghana’s decline to a lack of unity in the national team and disorganisation on the part of the Ghana Football Association.

“Ghana not qualifying for the AFCON, Nig, that is incredible. This is a Ghanaian side that has been on the slide; they have been in just a really bad way. The last two AFCONs, they have been one of the worst teams at the AFCON.

“They are not unified, the federation is in a mess, and when you talk about a dark, dark period for the national team, when you talk about a dark, dark chapter for a federation like the Ghanaian federation, Nigel, this has to be the darkest of all,” Michael Lahoud stated.

On his part, Nigel Reo-Coker demanded a process to realign Ghana’s declining football while emphasising the history of the country and the number of football superstars the national team has produced.

“It is the darkest. First time they haven’t qualified since 2004. There has to be a clearing house process. For me, it’s inexcusable. This is Ghana; they produced some of the top talented footballers we’ve seen. Talk about Michael Essien and, right now, Kudus. There is so much talent there, and for them not to qualify, it’s an absolute embarrassment. It’s that simple,” Reo-Coker said.

According to Nigel, Ghana’s situation is more about a lack of direction for the four-time AFCON champions and not a reflection of the state of football on the continent.

“Lack of direction, shortcomings from Ghana. You know, when you talk about the continent, the North African sides have always done well. When you talk about Morocco, Algeria, and even, not as much recently, Egypt. But for me, Ivory Coast, Senegal, they probably, I would say, are the real standard bearers of African football right now, and the smaller nations are starting to even go…

“Some of the smaller nations like Cape Verde are starting to do well now. But for Ghana, for me, that is an embarrassment because they are a powerhouse nation of African football, and not to qualify is an absolute embarrassment,” he stated.

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