Since winning its fourth Africa Cup of Nationals title in 1982, Ghana has struggled to refresh its trophy cabinet with another trophy.
The quest to win a fifth AFCON trophy has proven elusive despite making it to the semi-finals of the continent’s biggest football competition six times in the last ten years.
The country went a step closer to winning it in 2010 and 2015 but lost out to Egypt and Ivory Coast respectively under very painful circumstances.
Agyemang Badu is one of few experienced figures in the Black Stars who played part in both finals though their efforts on both occasions were not enough to land Ghana her fifth trophy.
The box to box midfielder who is well-known for his thrusting drives featured on GhanaWeb’s Sports Check this weekend and the topic came up for discussion. Badu disclosed that he has been left bemused and perplexed by Ghana’s unsuccessful attempts to win another trophy.
Badu who is saddened by the situation could not wrap his head around the fact that despite going two penalties ahead against Ivory Coast in the 2015 finale, the Black Stars still could not satisfy Ghanaians hunger for a trophy.
“It’s difficult for me to understand what is really happening to us because 3 semifinals (4 actually) and two finals is really good thing for us to win something. Leading somebody two penalties and we still lost that game to Ivory Coast is something up to now I have been thinking about but I don’t have answers to it. We did our best, went in strongly hoping that we will win something for the country but you know sometimes football can be like that. At times what you want is not what you get but that cup I knew we will win it after going two penalties ahead but unfortunately that is football”, Agyemang Badu said.
Coach Kwesi Appiah returned as Black Stars coach in 2017 with a mandate to qualify and win the 2019 AFCON which will be staged in Cameroon.
The team is currently undergoing a rebuilding and Badu, like many Ghanaians is optimistic that the Stars will lift the 2019 edition.