Kwabena Yeboah Blasts Black Stars Players Despite Successive WCQ Wins

• Veteran sports journalist Kwabena Yeboah has criticized Black Stars players for picking and choosing games
• Yeboah pointed out that many players do not fully appreciate the significance of the Africa Cup of Nations
• The Black Stars of Ghana bounced back from a home defeat to Niger in AFCON qualifiers to win two WC qualifiers in a row

Esteemed Ghanaian sports journalist and broadcaster, Kwabena Yeboah, has raised significant concerns about the attitude of Black Stars players towards the Africa Cup of Nations following their impressive qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Yeboah believes that the players’ commitment to the national team is selective, as they prioritize World Cup qualification over the equally important AFCON qualifiers.

Disconnect Between World Cup and AFCON Commitment

The GTV's icon criticism stems from Ghana’s disappointing performance in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, which contrasted sharply with their recent successful run in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Madagascar.

While the Black Stars displayed resilience and determination during the World Cup qualifiers, their disastrous AFCON 2025 qualification campaign was marked by underperformance and a lack of enthusiasm.

The experienced media personality pointed out that this level of withdrawal would not occur for World Cup qualifiers, where every player understands the gravity of representing their country on the world stage.

Foreign-Based Players’ Lack of Connection to AFCON

According to Kwabena Yeboah, who spoke to Metro TV's Michael Kofi Oduro, these players view the World Cup as a more prestigious tournament and, as a result, treat it with greater urgency and respect.

“It’s difficult for me to say this, but quite a number of our players do not even understand the importance of the Africa Cup of Nations. I won’t mention names, but several players born abroad or those who have stayed out for a long time don’t fully understand how crucial the Cup of Nations is to us Africans. However, they understand the significance of the World Cup,” Yeboah said.

The Impact on Team Unity and Performance

The AFCON has historically been a platform for African countries to showcase their footballing prowess, and for Ghana, it holds sentimental value as the Black Stars have won the tournament four times.

As much as the 2026 World Cup is a prestigious tournament, the AFCON holds just as much weight for the fans and the players who understand its importance.

Kwabena Yeboah’s Plea for Change

Yeboah is not calling for a radical overhaul, but rather a change in attitude among the Black Stars players. He wants to see players treat both the World Cup and the AFCON qualifiers with the same level of commitment and respect.

''If you remember the game against Niger, as many as eight of our regulars turned their backs on the team, offering all kinds of reasons. They wouldn’t do the same thing for the World Cup. Look at how quickly they responded to the calls for the World Cup. Every single player knows the importance of the World Cup, and I’m happy that things are turning around,” he added.

Black Stars Rating against Madagascar

YEN.com.gh earlier reported how the Black Stars players were rated in their dominant 3-0 away win against Madagascar on March 24 in the Moroccan city of Al Hoceima.

Source: YEN.com.gh