AFCON 2027: Ghana will need a miracle to qualify, says Laryea Kingston

Former Ghana international Laryea Kingston has expressed serious doubts about the Black Stars’ chances of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), insisting that it will take a miracle for the national team to recover from its disappointing start to the qualifying campaign.

Kingston’s comments come after Ghana suffered defeats in their opening two Group C matches, leaving the four-time African champions without a point and at the bottom of the group.

The Black Stars began their campaign with a 2-0 defeat against Ivory Coast in Bouaké before suffering a painful 4-2 loss to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The defeat to The Gambia was particularly disappointing because Ghana had taken a 2-0 lead but failed to maintain their advantage, allowing their opponents to fight back and secure all three points.

Speaking to 3Sports, Kingston said Ghana’s position in the group had made qualification extremely difficult, especially with rival teams already building a significant advantage.

“Looking at the situation now, it will be a miracle for us to qualify,” he said.

He added that with two teams having accumulated six points each, Ghana would need to win its remaining matches to have a realistic chance of turning the campaign around.

The former Black Stars midfielder’s assessment comes at a difficult time for the national team, which is seeking to return to the continental tournament after failing to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.

Ghana’s disappointing results also contributed to the departure of head coach Carlos Queiroz, with an interim technical team appointed to oversee preparations for the upcoming qualifiers against Somalia in November.

The temporary technical team comprises Kim Lars Björkegren, Ibrahim Tanko and Godwin Attram, with former Black Stars goalkeeper Fatawu Dauda serving as goalkeeper coach. The Ghana Football Association and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation are expected to appoint a substantive head coach.

Despite the difficult situation, the Black Stars still have matches remaining in their qualification campaign and will need to improve significantly if they are to keep their hopes alive.

Their upcoming double-header against Somalia is expected to be crucial. Securing maximum points from those encounters would give Ghana an opportunity to begin recovering from the early setbacks, although the team’s fate will also depend on results elsewhere in Group C.

Kingston’s comments have added to the growing debate about the Black Stars’ performances, coaching decisions and the need for a more consistent approach to building the national team.

For Ghana, the immediate priority is to restore confidence, improve defensive organisation and convert scoring opportunities as the team attempts to avoid missing another edition of Africa’s premier international football tournament.

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