Executive Council Member of the Ghana Football Association, Dr.Randy Abbey says Ghana’s participation at the upcoming U-23 AFCON in Morocco is another opportunity for Ibrahim Tanko to re-write the narrative of the 2019 failure in Egypt.
Ghana missed out on a ticket to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games after losing to South Africa on penalties in the third place-play offs of the 2019 AFCON.
The Black Meteors have been drawn against host nation Morocco, Congo, and Guinea in Group A, with the tournament commencing on June 24 to July 8 in the North African Country.
In an exclusive interview with Citi Sports, Dr.Randy Abbey believes Ghana finds herself in a tough group but is confident the team can qualify for the Olympics under the guidance of Ibrahim Tanko.
“They were very unlucky in 2019, I mean where we missed the penalty against South Africa, which was quite unfortunate.”
“I have chaired the U-23 Committee before; I know how we have always wanted to be at the Olympics. I remember Nigeria drawing us here and denying us a chance to compete some years back under the late Sir Cecil Jones Attuquayefio.”
“I know how important this is. Although we won the All Africa Games then in Maputo; obviously we had wanted to go the Olympics.”
“I have yet another opportunity to do so.”
“I have seen the draw, [it is a] very, very tough group, but I think that the players who have been called up are quite good, and I also know that we are going to augment them with some foreign-based players.”
“I see the technical team very focused, Ibrahim Tanko is someone I know pretty well, he takes his work seriously, together with Godwin Attram and Michael Osei.”
“Despite the fact that it is a tough group, I am confident Ghana will qualify for the Olympics in Paris.”
The team started preparations for the tournament on May 23, 2023, at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence at Prampram with 22 local-based players but will travel to the North African country to complete their pre-tournament camping.
The team earlier this morning triumphed over Uncle T United in a friendly game at the Ghanaman Soccer Center of Excellence
A brace from Godwin Bentil and a first half opener by Afriyie Barnieh was enough to down Dauda Lutterodt’s side.
The Black Meteors of Ghana will depart Ghana for Egypt on Monday, June 12, 2023, ahead of the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted in Morocco.
Ghana will play Congo in their first game on 25th June 2023 before taking on Guinea and Morocco in the other Group matches.
Ibrahim Tanko has named a provisional 29-man squad featuring Kamaldeen Sulemana & Ransford Konigsdorffer to begin camping in Egypt ahead of the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations.
The finalists and third-place playoff winner of this year’s tournament will qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympic men’s football tournament in Paris while the 4th-placed team will play in the AFC–CAF playoff to decide the final slot at the Olympics.