Now, with another Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign beginning, the question is simple: is there still hope for the Black Stars?

For a country that has always treated football as more than just a sport, the last few years have been difficult to accept. The Black Stars have gone from being one of the most respected teams on the continent to a side that has left many Ghanaians questioning where exactly the team is heading. Missing out on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations was already a major disappointment. The 2026 World Cup campaign did not exactly provide the comfort many were hoping for either, with Ghana's tournament ending at the Round of 32 after defeat to Colombia.

Is there still hope for the Black Stars? The answer, perhaps, is yes. But hope alone will not be enough. Ghana's new AFCON journey begins with arguably one of the toughest fixtures available. The Black Stars travel to Bouaké to face Côte d'Ivoire on September 24 before returning home to play The Gambia on September 29. They will then travel to Morocco for a friendly against the Atlas Lions on October 4. On paper, it is an opportunity for a fresh start. In reality, it is another difficult test for a team still trying to find its identity.

Missing AFCON 2025 was not something many Ghanaians expected. Ghana had qualified for almost every edition of the competition for years, and the Black Stars had become almost automatic participants. So when the team failed to make the tournament, it felt like more than just another failed qualification campaign. It raised deeper questions about the direction of the national team. The World Cup offered an opportunity to change the mood. Instead, Ghana again failed to give supporters the tournament they had hoped for. There were flashes of quality, but ultimately the campaign ended earlier than many would have wanted. And now the team has to start again.

Carlos Queiroz has been given another mandate, and his first major task is straightforward: get Ghana back to the AFCON. But Queiroz himself has acknowledged one of the biggest problems facing the team is continuity. “You can’t change seven, eight or 10 players every time the national team plays and expect to succeed,” Queiroz said recently. That statement may be one of the most important observations surrounding the Black Stars at the moment. A national team cannot constantly be rebuilt from scratch.

Just when Ghana needed stability, another problem arrived. The initial squad included some familiar names and the return of Mohammed Kudus after the injury that kept him out of the World Cup. But his return to the squad did not last long. Kudus eventually withdrew as he continues his recovery and works towards regaining full fitness. Queiroz explained that the decision was made after monitoring the player's condition and discussions about his progress. Then came more setbacks. Nathaniel Adjei, Jan Gyamerah and Prince Kwabena Adu were among those unavailable because of injury concerns. Antoine Semenyo has also withdrawn ahead of the qualifiers, with injury concerns cited as the reason. Abdul Rahman Baba has subsequently been ruled out as well.

The Ghana Football Association has had to bring in several replacements, including Jonas Adjetey, Alidu Seidu, Ebenezer Annan, Rockson Yeboah, Rahim Ibrahim, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Mohammed Fuseini, Benjamin Tetteh and Felix Afena-Gyan. It is not exactly the preparation Queiroz would have wanted. And yet, perhaps there is another way to look at it. Maybe this is where the rebuilding begins. Every crisis creates an opportunity for someone else.

Can Ghana show the kind of hunger that has sometimes appeared to be missing? A good performance in Bouaké would not suddenly erase the problems of the past few years. But it could provide something the team desperately needs: belief. Then comes The Gambia. Playing at home brings its own pressure. Ghanaian supporters will expect a result, especially after the disappointment of missing the last AFCON.

Morocco will offer another reality check. The friendly against Morocco could also prove useful. Morocco has established itself as one of Africa's strongest sides and reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, making them the continent's best-performing team at that tournament. For Ghana, facing such opposition provides a chance to measure progress without the pressure of a qualification game. It is also an opportunity for Queiroz to test players, combinations and tactics.

But Ghana must look beyond the Black Stars. the problems of Ghanaian football are bigger than one coach or one generation of players. Queiroz himself has pointed to the need for investment in player development, youth education, facilities, infrastructure, logistics and medical capabilities. That is an important point. If Ghana wants a strong Black Stars team ten years from now, the work cannot begin when the senior team is preparing for an AFCON qualifier.

It has to begin much earlier. The youth teams need proper development. Coaches need the right environment to work. Young players need competitive football. Clubs need better structures: football, training pitches and development of juvenile football and the local leagues. So, is there hope? Yes. But it is a different kind of hope. It should not be the blind hope that says Ghana will suddenly become a great team because the next match is coming. It should be the hope that comes from rebuilding properly. Ghana still has talented footballers. There is still a strong football culture. There are young players coming through, experienced players who can contribute and Ghanaian players performing at clubs around Europe and beyond. What the Black Stars need now is consistency.

But beyond qualification, Ghana needs to build a team that supporters can believe in again. Perhaps the Black Stars do not need another revolution. Perhaps they simply need direction. Three matches will not determine the future of Ghanaian football. But they could give us the first indication of whether the Black Stars are finally beginning to turn the page. For now, Ghanaian supporters have every right to be frustrated. But they also have a reason to hope. The Black Stars are not finished. They are simply at a point where hope must finally be matched by proper planning, commitment and action.