Kojo Addae Mensah , the CEO of Data Bank Group, has voiced his concerns regarding the current state of the Black Stars, emphasizing that even a top manager like Pep Guardiola would be unable to secure an AFCON trophy for Ghana due to a lack of quality players.
In an interview on Happy FM, Addae Mensah, renowned for his in-depth knowledge of Ghanaian football, pinpointed the deficiencies in the present Black Stars squad. He remarked, “The current Black Stars team lacks quality. If you compare the squad from 2006 up to 2010, none of the current team members come close, not even Partey.”
Addae Mensah suggested that blaming the head coach alone would be unfair, as the selected players did not meet the required standard. He asserted, “This current crop of players can’t win the AFCON for Ghana, and that’s the truth.”
Even the idea of having Pep Guardiola, a highly successful manager, take charge of the team was dismissed by Mensah Addae. “Even if we bring in Pep Guardiola, a top manager we all know, he can’t salvage anything with this Black Stars Team. We need to be patient with this team so we can go through the rebuilding process. The team has a long way to go.”
Guardiola, who joined City from Bayern Munich in 2016, has enjoyed a remarkably successful seven years at the club, winning multiple Premier League titles, FA Cups, League Cups, the UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Super Cup. City won the Champions League for the first time last season and have started their title defense this term impressively.
In recent months, the Black Stars, under the management of Coach Chris Hughton, have faced criticism for their performances. Their aspirations suffered a setback during the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers with a 1-0 defeat against Comoros in Moroni. Hughton, in his ninth game in charge, recorded his third defeat, having drawn two and won four times.
With the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast between January and February 2024, Ghana’s focus shifts to surpassing their previous performance, aiming to advance beyond the group stages after their exit in the last edition.