“Ghana should take consolation in World Cup qualification after AFCON miss” – Gargo

Former Ghana international Mohammed Gargo has waded into the nation’s absence at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted in Morocco.

Twenty-four countries will assemble in Morocco between December 21 and January 18 2026 with the Black Stars as one of the biggest names that will be conspicuously missing from the lineup.

The four time African champions failed to qualify for the AFCON after finishing bottom of Group F with three points behind Niger, Sudan and Angola after six matches.

The 2010 quarter finalists however made amends to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after topping Group I with 25 points and Mohammed Gargo, who earned 20 caps for the Blacks Stars takes consolation in Ghana’s fifth qualification.

Ghana finished bottom of Group F in AFCON qualifiers

“This has happened before and It’s not surprising, once we have been able to lose one tournament and qualified for the biggest one [World Cup] I think we will console ourselves with that,” Mohammed Gargo told Pan-Africa Football.

Mohammed Gargo who started at Ghana’s Real Tamale United, spent over a decade in the Italian Italian Serie A with Torino, Udinese, Venezia and Genoa with brief stints at Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich II. He equally played in Stoke City on loan before going to play for Qatari side, Al Wakrah.

Ghana has been paired against CONCACAF side Panama, European sides Croatia and England in Group L of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be co-hosted by Canada, USA and Mexico.

Ghana’s best result came in the 2010 edition in South Africa where they reached the quarter finals after round 16 finish in their maiden appearance in Germany 2006. They suffered group stage eliminations in Brazil 2014 and Qatar 2022 and coach Otto Addo will look to do better in the next campaign.