Former Ghana international John Paintsil has come to the defense of the Black Stars following their disappointing performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
Ghana was knocked out in the group stage after failing to secure a win in any of their matches at the recently concluded tournament in the West African nation. The Black Stars managed to draw two games and suffered one defeat, ultimately finishing third in Group B.
This marks the second consecutive early exit for the four-time African champions from the continental competition.
Sharing his thoughts on Ghana’s showing at the AFCON, the former Fulham and West Ham player pointed out that the Black Stars are still in a phase of rebuilding and will require time to form strong chemistry.
“When we talk about the Black Stars, their current performance and everything, they just returned from the World Cup (in Qatar). They qualified us,” he stated on UTV’s United Showbiz.
“In the big game against Nigeria, they went there and secured qualification. We need to understand that they are still in the process of rebuilding; the team has new faces.”
John Paintsil represented Ghana at the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups. He was also part of the squad that advanced to the finals of the 2010 AFCON.
