Ghana defender Jonathan Mensah says 'losing the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final' is the most painful defeat in his football career.

The Columbus Crew SC captain picked the agonizing defeat to Ivory Coast in 2015 over not reaching the FIFA World Cup semifinal after suffering a penalty shootout loss Uruguay.

The two defeats haunts every Ghanaian football fan, after having an initiative in both games only to throw it away in bizarre circumstance.

Mensah was a member of both teams and played an integral role in both games.

"I will go for the African Cup because, its painful," he told Owuraku Ampofo of Joy Sports in an Instagram Live interview. "For the World Cup we have been there for three times only with all the greats talents we have had in the past," he added.

"We weren't even born when we had the likes of the other greats that won the African Cup. So I would say we have only been to the world cup three times and we had missed out on the African Cup over 37 years I think, so it would be good to win the African Cup soon.

"I would say missing out on the African Cup final, because we were leading 2-0 in the penalty shootout then you lose it, that is very painful," he concluded.

Ghana has not won the Africa Cup of Nations since 1982.