Ibrahim Tanko reflects on Ghana’s AFCON miss, Addo’s future & suggests solutions for GFA

The four-time African champions' hopes of securing a 25th Africa Cup of Nations appearance vanished after failing to overcome Angola and Niger Republic in their final two qualifiers.

In Luanda, they managed a 1-1 draw against the Palancas Negras but suffered a 2-1 home defeat to the Mena, finishing at the bottom of Group F with just three points.

The last time Ghana missed out on AFCON was in Tunisia 2004, and the former Ghana senior national team coach couldn't hide his disappointment over the country's failure to qualify for the tournament after two decades.

"It is very bitter for us and also a big blow for Ghana football because this is the first time in over 20 years that we are not qualifying for the competition," Tanko told Flashscore.

"It is not good for us the former players as well as the Ghana Football Association. We definitely going to feel it.

"In terms of players, we have them. For these games (vs Angola & Niger), some players did not come yet we still had a very good squad to compete. 

"Qualification for tournaments have always been easy for Ghana except for this one. The GFA needs to sit down and analyze what is happening, there is no tournament that we have not gone past the group stage, but in recent times, we have not come out from the group stage."

Despite his disappointment, the former Borussia Dortmund star acknowledges that there are no longer any underdogs in football and emphasises that the strength of a national team reflects the quality of its local league.

He continued: "Consider the teams we faced! In the past, everyone could predict the outcomes against Ghana, but football has completely evolved.

"Today, every country boasts talented players, both in their domestic leagues and abroad. Take Sudan, for example - their league may not be top-tier, but their national team is excelling, even leading their World Cup qualification group ahead of Senegal. This shows how competitive football has become across the board.

"This applies to other countries as well, not just Ghana. Everyone knows how to play football now, so you must prepare thoroughly, just as you would when facing any of the top teams."

Under fire Addo needs more time to succeed

After Ghana's failed campaign to qualify for Morocco, coach Otto Addo has faced heavy criticism from fans and media, with many calling for his dismissal as the West Africans set their sights on qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

Tanko believes the former Dortmund assistant manager needs more time to succeed and highlights what the Ghana Football Association and the Black Stars would lose if he were dismissed too soon.

"I don't believe the job is too big for him. He came in at a very challenging time. Remember, he took us to the World Cup in Qatar, though the performance wasn't as expected, and then he was replaced by Chris Hughton, who was the technical director," he stated.

"His return was always going to come with pressure. I don’t believe we should sack him; instead, we need to give him a chance. With the World Cup qualifiers coming up, should we really be bringing in a new coach?

"He just signed a three-year contract – if you sack him, you'll have to pay. Plus, there's no guarantee that the next coach will make an immediate impact."

Indigenous or expatriate: Who is the best for Ghana?

The current head coach of Accra Lions also weighs in on the ongoing debate over whether an expatriate or Indigenous coach would be the best choice to lead Ghana to glory.

Tanko stated: "When you look at our history, our success with foreign coaches hasn't matched that of Indigenous coaches. Kwasi Appiah took us to the World Cup and performed very well. After him, we haven't reached that stage again."

"I was his assistant in 2019, and we made it past the group stage at the AFCON in Egypt. Since then, despite having an expatriate coach, we haven't progressed beyond that stage. From this, you could argue that Indigenous coaches have been more effective for us.

"Now we have Otto Addo as our coach, but things aren't going well. It's always a tricky situation when discussing which type of coach would be best for the national team. Personally, I believe we have the ability to manage our national team better than foreign coaches."

Ghana, having failed to win any of their last six matches across all competitions, will continue their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. They will host Chad on March 16, 2025, in their next match.

They currently sit in second place behind leaders Comoros in Group I, with nine points from their four matches played so far.