Ghana national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ghana

Nickname(s)	Black Stars
Association	Ghana Football Association
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	WAFU (West Africa)
Head coach	Otto Addo
Captain	Jordan Ayew
Most caps	André Ayew (120)
Top scorer	Asamoah Gyan (51)
Home stadium	Various
FIFA code	GHA
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	52 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest	14 (April–May 2007, February 2008)
Lowest	89 (June 2004)
Elo ranking
Current	51 4 (3 March 2019)
Highest	13 (30 June 1966)
Lowest	97 (14 June 2004)
First international
Gold Coast and British Togoland 1–0 Nigeria  (Accra, British Gold Coast; 28 May 1950)
Biggest win
Nyasaland 0–12 Gold Coast  (Nyasaland; 15 October 1962)
Biggest defeat
Brazil 8–2 Ghana  (São José do Rio Preto, Brazil; 27 March 1996)
World Cup
Appearances	4 (first in 2006)
Best result	Quarter-finals (2010)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances	24 (first in 1963)
Best result	Champions (1963, 1965, 1978, 1982)
West African Nations Cup / WAFU Nations Cup
Appearances	8 (first in 1982)
Best result	Champions (1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 2013)
COSAFA Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2015)
Best result	Quarter-finals (2015)

The Ghana national football team, also known as the Black Stars, plays for Ghana in international soccer matches. They get their nickname from the Black Star of Africa found on the flag of Ghana. The team is managed by the Ghana Football Association, which oversees all soccer in Ghana. Before 1957, when Ghana became independent, the team was known as the Gold Coast.

The Black Stars first played in the FIFA World Cup in 2006. They have won the Africa Cup of Nations four times: in 1963, 1965, 1978, and 1982. They also finished second five times. Their home jerseys are usually white, and their away jerseys are yellow.

Exciting Moments in Black Stars History

The Black Stars have a rich history filled with exciting matches and big wins. On August 19, 1962, they played a thrilling 3-3 draw against Real Madrid at the Accra Sports Stadium. Real Madrid was a top team from Spain at the time.

Early Success and African Dominance

Under coach Charles Kumi Gyamfi, Ghana won the Africa Cup of Nations two times in a row, in 1963 and 1965. After these wins, they achieved their biggest victory ever, beating Kenya 13-2 away from home. They continued their strong performance, reaching the finals in 1968 and 1970. Their amazing play in the 1960s earned them the nickname "the Black Stars of Africa."

After a period of not qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations in the 1970s, the team, with new stars like Abedi Pele, won their fourth continental title in 1982. In 1992, they reached the final again but lost a very close penalty shootout to Ivory Coast. The score was 11-10 after every player took a penalty!

World Cup Adventures Begin

In the 1990s, the team faced some challenges, but a new generation of players emerged. Many of these players had played in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship final. This group formed the core of the team that qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. It was Ghana's first time ever at the World Cup!

At the 2006 World Cup, Ghana started with a loss to Italy. However, they bounced back with wins against Czech Republic (2-0) and the United States (2-1). These wins helped them move to the second round, where they were defeated by Brazil 3-0.

Reaching the Quarter-Finals in 2010

Under coach Milovan Rajevac, the Black Stars had a perfect record in their qualifying games, becoming the first African team to secure a spot in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In South Africa, they were in a tough group with Germany, Serbia, and Australia. They made it to the Round of 16 and beat the United States 2-1 in extra time. This made them only the third African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals!

In the quarter-finals, they played against Uruguay. The game was tied 1-1 in extra time when a Uruguayan player, Luis Suárez, blocked a goal-bound header with his hand. He was sent off, and Ghana was awarded a penalty. Sadly, Asamoah Gyan missed the penalty, and Ghana later lost the game in a penalty shootout (4-2). This meant they missed out on becoming the first African country to reach a World Cup semi-final.

Recent World Cup and AFCON Journeys

Ghana continued to show strong performances in the Africa Cup of Nations, reaching the semi-finals four times in a row between 2013 and 2017.

For the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Ghana qualified after beating Egypt 7-3 over two matches. They were in a difficult group with Germany, Portugal, and the United States. They drew 2-2 with Germany, who went on to win the tournament, but lost their other two matches and did not advance past the group stage.

In the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Ghana reached the final but lost to Ivory Coast in a penalty shootout. They finished fourth in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. In the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, they were knocked out in the Round of 16.

The Black Stars qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup after a close match against Nigeria. At the 2022 World Cup, they lost to Portugal (3-2) and beat South Korea (3-2) in an exciting game. In their final group match, they lost to Uruguay 2-0, which meant they did not move on. However, South Korea's win over Portugal also sent Uruguay home, which was a small comfort for Ghana.

Recently, Ghana did not qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, finishing last in their group. This means they missed the tournament for the first time since 2004.

Team Culture and Support

The Black Stars are more than just a football team; they represent Ghana's spirit and culture.

Team Kits and Crest

Home shirt: 1970s–1980s

The black star symbol, which is on Ghana's flag, has been a part of the Black Stars' jerseys since Ghana became independent in 1957. From 2005 to 2014, the team's kits were sponsored by Puma SE.

Badge and anthem

Between 1990 and 2006, the team's kits used the colors of the national flag: gold, green, and red. These are also known as the Pan-African colours. In 2008, an all-black away kit was introduced. The team's kit for the 2014 FIFA World Cup was even named the best kit of the tournament by BuzzFeed!

2008 Africa Cup of Nations 1st and 2nd kits

Kit supplier	Period
Erima	1991–1992
Adidas	1992–2000
Kappa	2000–2005
Puma	2005–

Training Grounds

Kumasi Sports Stadium

Lizzy Sports Complex

The Black Stars train at several facilities across Ghana. These include Agyeman Badu Stadium, Berekum Sports Stadium, Tema Sports Stadium, and the Lizzy Sports Complex in Legon.

Passionate Supporters

Ghana Supporters Union at an AFCON 2015 match between Ghana and Guinea

The Black Stars have incredibly loyal fans! Their matches often draw huge crowds, sometimes over 80,000 people. When the team returned from the 2006 and 2010 World Cup, hundreds of excited fans welcomed them at the airport in Accra with dancing and singing.

Friendly Rivalries

Vs. Nigeria in the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations Quarter-Final

One of the biggest rivalries for the Black Stars is with the Super Eagles, the Nigerian national team. This exciting match is often called the "Battle of Supremacy on the Gulf of Guinea" or the Jollof derby. Both teams are very successful in Africa, and their close location adds to the excitement.

Ghana also has rivalries with the Egyptian national team, the USA, and Uruguay.

Media and Artistic Expression

The Black Stars are a big part of Ghanaian culture, inspiring books, films, and music.

• Books: Stories about the team's history and World Cup journeys have been published.
• Documentary Films: Films like Kwame Nkrumah & Ghana's Black Stars show how important the team was to Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah.
• Nickname: The team's nickname, "Black Stars," comes from the Black Star Line, a shipping company started by civil rights leader Marcus Garvey.
• Dances: When the Black Stars score a goal, players often celebrate with popular Ghanaian dances like Azonto. They even created a special "shrimp" dance for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations!
• Songs: Musicians create special hiplife songs to cheer on the team during tournaments. Former captain and top scorer Asamoah Gyan even released a popular song called "African Girls" with 'Castro The Destroyer'. The music video showed his famous "Baby Jet" goal celebration.

Results and Upcoming Matches

Here are the recent match results and some upcoming games for the Black Stars.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

Nigeria  v  Ghana

22 March Friendly	Nigeria	2–1	Ghana	Marrakech, Morocco
16:00 UTC±0	Dessers  38' (pen.) Lookman  84'		Ayew  90+5' (pen.)	Stadium: Stade de Marrakech Referee: Rédouane Jiyed (Morocco)

Uganda  v  Ghana

26 March Friendly	Uganda	2–2	Ghana	Marrakech, Morocco
16:00 UTC±0	Mukwala  23' (pen.) Shaban  82'		Opoku  7' J. Ayew  28' (pen.)	Stadium: Stade de Marrakech Referee: Bouchra Kaboubi (Morocco)

Mali  v  Ghana

6 June 2026 World Cup qualification	Mali	1–2	Ghana	Bamako, Mali
19:00 UTC±0	K. Doumbia  45+1'		Nuamah  58' J. Ayew  90+4'	Stadium: Stade du 26 Mars Attendance: 50,200 Referee: Amin Omar (Egypt)

Ghana  v  Central African Republic

10 June 2026 World Cup qualification	Ghana	4–3	Central African Republic	Kumasi, Ghana
19:00 UTC±0	Ayew  6' (pen.), 60', 69' Fatawu  62'		Mafouta  11', 41', 90'	Stadium: Baba Yara Stadium Attendance: 39,000 Referee: Abdulrazg Ahmed (Libya)

Ghana  v  Angola

5 September 2025 AFCON qualification	Ghana	0–1	Angola	Kumasi, Ghana
16:00 UTC±0			Milson  90+3'	Stadium: Baba Yara Stadium Referee: Samuel Uwikunda (Rwanda)

Niger  v  Ghana

9 September 2025 AFCON qualification	Niger	1–1	Ghana	Berkane, Morocco
16:00 UTC+1	Sako  81'		Seidu  44'	Stadium: Berkane Municipal Stadium Referee: Lamin Jammeh (Gambia)

Ghana  v  Sudan

10 October 2025 AFCON qualification	Ghana	0–0	Sudan	Accra, Ghana
16:00 UTC±0				Stadium: Accra Sports Stadium Referee: Patrice Milazar (Mauritius)

Sudan  v  Ghana

15 October 2025 AFCON qualification	Sudan	2–0	Ghana	Benghazi, Libya
15:00 UTC+2	Al-Tash  62' Abdelrahman  65'			Stadium: Martyrs of February Stadium Referee: Mehrez Malki (Tunisia)

Angola  v  Ghana

15 November 2025 AFCON qualification	Angola	1–1	Ghana	Talatona, Angola
19:00 UTC+1	Zini  64'		Ayew  18'	Stadium: Estádio 11 de Novembro Referee: Georges Gatogato (Burundi)

Ghana  v  Niger

18 November 2025 AFCON qualification	Ghana	1–2	Niger	Accra, Ghana
13:00 UTC±0	Afriyie  67'		Badamassi  22' Sako  90+2'	Stadium: Accra Sports Stadium Referee: Rulisa Patience Fidele (Central African Republic)

2025 Matches

Ghana  v  Chad

21 March 2026 World Cup qualification	Ghana	5–0	Chad	Accra, Ghana
19:00 UTC±0	Semenyo  2' Williams  31' Ayew  36' (pen.) Salisu  56' Nuamah  68'			Stadium: Accra Sports Stadium Referee: Ahmed Abdulrazg (Libya)

Madagascar  v  Ghana

24 March 2026 World Cup qualification	Madagascar	0–3	Ghana	Al Hoceima, Morocco
20:00 UTC+1			Partey  11', 53' Kudus  58'	Stadium: Grand Stade d'Al Hoceima Referee: Issa Sy (Senegal)

Nigeria  v  Ghana

28 May 2025 Unity Cup	Nigeria	2–1	Ghana	London, England
19:45 UTC+1	Cyriel Dessers  14' Razak Simpson  19' (o.g.)		Thomas-Asante  70'	Stadium: Gtech Community Stadium Referee: Stuart Attwell (England)

Trinidad and Tobago  v  Ghana

31 May 2025 Unity Cup	Trinidad and Tobago	0–4	Ghana	London, England
12::30 UTC+1			Jordan Ayew  6' Razak Simpson  12' Mohammed Fuseini  42' Lawrence Agyekum  58'	Stadium: Gtech Community Stadium Referee: Sam Barrott (England)

Chad  v  Ghana

September 2026 World Cup qualification	Chad	v	Ghana	TBD
				Stadium: TBD

Ghana  v  Mali

September 2026 World Cup qualification	Ghana	v	Mali	Ghana
				Stadium: TBD

Central African Republic  v  Ghana

October 2026 World Cup qualification	Central African Republic	v	Ghana	TBD
				Stadium: TBD

Ghana  v  Comoros

October 2026 World Cup qualification	Ghana	v	Comoros	Ghana
				Stadium: TBD

Team Coaches

Position	Name
Head coach	Otto Addo
Assistant coach	Joseph Laumann
Assistant coach	John Paintsil
Goalkeeping coach	Fatau Dauda

Coaching History

Mali vs Ghana, exhibition game at Paris, 31 March 2015

Since 1957, the Black Stars have had many different coaches. C. K. Gyamfi is one of the most successful, leading the team to win the Africa Cup of Nations three times (in 1963, 1965, and 1982). Other coaches like Fred Osam Duodu, Ratomir Dujković, Milovan Rajevac, and James Kwesi Appiah helped Ghana qualify for the World Cup. Otto Addo became the head coach of the Black Stars on March 15, 2024.

Players on the Team

Current Squad

The following players were called up for the 2025 Unity Cup matches against Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago on May 28 and 31, 2025.
Caps and goals are correct as of June 4, 2025, after the match against Trinidad and Tobago.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Lawrence Ati-Zigi	(1996-11-29) 29 November 1996 (age 28)	25	0	St. Gallen
12	1GK	Joseph Anang	(2000-06-08) 8 June 2000 (age 25)	0	0	St Patrick's Athletic
16	1GK	Benjamin Asare	(1999-07-13) 13 July 1999 (age 26)	5	0	Hearts of Oak
2	2DF	Kamaradini Mamudu	(2002-11-04) 4 November 2002 (age 22)	4	0	Medeama
3	2DF	Aaron Essel	(2005-12-30) 30 December 2005 (age 19)	1	0	North Texas
4	2DF	Razak Simpson	(1998-07-15) 15 July 1998 (age 27)	7	1	Nations
14	2DF	Gideon Mensah	(1998-07-18) 18 July 1998 (age 27)	32	0	Auxerre
18	2DF	Stephan Ambrosius	(1998-12-18) 18 December 1998 (age 26)	4	0	St. Gallen
20	2DF	Ebenezer Annan	(2002-08-21) 21 August 2002 (age 22)	6	0	Red Star Belgrade
	2DF	Mohammed Salisu	(1999-04-17) 17 April 1999 (age 26)	18	3	Monaco
5	3MF	Caleb Yirenkyi	(2006-01-15) 15 January 2006 (age 19)	2	0	Nordsjælland
8	3MF	Majeed Ashimeru	(1997-10-10) 10 October 1997 (age 27)	12	0	Anderlecht
13	3MF	Ibrahim Sulemana	(2003-05-22) 22 May 2003 (age 22)	6	0	Atalanta
15	3MF	Lawrence Agyekum	(2003-11-23) 23 November 2003 (age 21)	2	1	Cercle Brugge
21	3MF	Salis Abdul Samed	(2000-03-26) 26 March 2000 (age 25)	21	0	Sunderland
22	3MF	Christopher Bonsu Baah	(2004-12-14) 14 December 2004 (age 20)	2	0	Genk
27	3MF	Abu Francis	(2001-04-27) 27 April 2001 (age 24)	6	0	Cercle Brugge
7	4FW	Aziz Issah	(2005-11-20) 20 November 2005 (age 19)	1	0	Barcelona Atlètic
9	4FW	Jordan Ayew	(1991-09-11) 11 September 1991 (age 33)	113	31	Leicester City
11	4FW	Kwame Opoku	(1999-05-08) 8 May 1999 (age 26)	3	0	Asante Kotoko
17	4FW	Mohammed Fuseini	(2002-05-16) 16 May 2002 (age 23)	2	1	Union Saint-Gilloise
19	4FW	Felix Afena-Gyan	(2003-01-19) 19 January 2003 (age 22)	8	1	Juventus Next Gen
23	4FW	Brandon Thomas-Asante	(1998-12-28) 28 December 1998 (age 26)	4	1	Coventry City

Recent Call-ups

The following players have also been called up in the last twelve months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Jojo Wollacott	(1996-09-08) 8 September 1996 (age 28)	12	0	Crawley Town	v.  Madagascar, 24 March 2025
GK	Abdul Manaf Nurudeen	(1999-02-08) 8 February 1999 (age 26)	6	0	Eupen	v.  Niger, 18 November 2024
GK	Fredrick Asare	(1999-05-28) 28 May 1999 (age 26)	0	0	Asante Kotoko	v.  Sudan, 15 October 2024
DF	Alexander Djiku	(1994-08-09) 9 August 1994 (age 30)	32	2	Fenerbahçe	v.  Madagascar, 24 March 2025
DF	Kingsley Schindler	(1993-07-12) 12 July 1993 (age 32)	8	0	Samsunspor	v.  Madagascar, 24 March 2025
DF	Jerome Opoku	(1998-10-14) 14 October 1998 (age 26)	5	1	İstanbul Başakşehir	v.  Madagascar, 24 March 2025
DF	Jonas Adjetey	(2003-12-13) 13 December 2003 (age 21)	2	0	Basel	v.  Madagascar, 24 March 2025
DF	Alidu Seidu	(2000-06-04) 4 June 2000 (age 25)	20	1	Rennes	v.  Niger, 18 November 2024
DF	Tariq Lamptey	(2000-09-30) 30 September 2000 (age 24)	11	0	Brighton & Hove Albion	v.  Niger, 18 November 2024
DF	Ebenezer Abban	(1998-01-12) 12 January 1998 (age 27)	3	0	Heart of Lions	v.  Niger, 18 November 2024
DF	Isaac Afful	(1999-04-01) 1 April 1999 (age 26)	2	0	Samartex	v.  Niger, 18 November 2024
DF	Nathaniel Adjei	(2002-08-21) 21 August 2002 (age 22)	1	0	Lorient	v.  Niger, 18 November 2024
DF	Terry Yegbe	(2001-01-25) 25 January 2001 (age 24)	1	0	IF Elfsborg	v.  Niger, 18 November 2024
DF	Abdul Mumin	(1998-06-06) 6 June 1998 (age 27)	4	0	Rayo Vallecano	v.  Niger, 9 September 2024
DF	Baba Rahman	(1994-07-02) 2 July 1994 (age 31)	52	1	PAOK	v.  Central African Republic, 10 June 2024
MF	Thomas Partey	(1993-06-13) 13 June 1993 (age 32)	51	14	Arsenal	v.  Madagascar, 24 March 2025
MF	Mohammed Kudus	(2000-08-02) 2 August 2000 (age 25)	41	12	Tottenham Hotspur	v.  Madagascar, 24 March 2025
MF	Elisha Owusu	(1997-11-07) 7 November 1997 (age 27)	14	0	Auxerre	v.  Chad, 21 March 2025 INJ
MF	Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer	(2001-09-13) 13 September 2001 (age 23)	5	0	Hamburger SV	v.  Niger, 18 November 2024
MF	Michael Baidoo	(1999-05-14) 14 May 1999 (age 26)	3	0	Plymouth Argyle	v.  Niger, 18 November 2024
MF	Forson Amankwah	(2002-12-31) 31 December 2002 (age 22)	2	0	Norwich City	v.  Niger, 18 November 2024
MF	Emmanuel Antwi	(2000-01-08) 8 January 2000 (age 25)	0	0	Asante Kotoko	v.  Niger, 18 November 2024
MF	Ibrahim Sadiq	(2000-05-07) 7 May 2000 (age 25)	0	0	AZ	v.  Sudan, 15 October 2024
MF	Edmund Addo	(2000-05-17) 17 May 2000 (age 25)	14	0	OFK Beograd	v.  Central African Republic, 10 June 2024
FW	Antoine Semenyo	(2000-01-07) 7 January 2000 (age 25)	27	3	Bournemouth	v.  Madagascar, 24 March 2025
FW	Iñaki Williams	(1994-06-15) 15 June 1994 (age 31)	22	2	Athletic Bilbao	v.  Madagascar, 24 March 2025
FW	Kamaldeen Sulemana	(2002-02-15) 15 February 2002 (age 23)	20	0	Atalanta	v.  Madagascar, 24 March 2025
FW	Ernest Nuamah	(2003-11-01) 1 November 2003 (age 21)	17	4	Lyon	v.  Madagascar, 24 March 2025
FW	Jerry Afriyie	(2006-12-10) 10 December 2006 (age 18)	4	1	Lugo	v.  Madagascar, 24 March 2025
FW	Abdul Fatawu	(2004-03-08) 8 March 2004 (age 21)	24	2	Leicester City	v.  Niger, 18 November 2024
FW	Osman Bukari	(1998-12-13) 13 December 1998 (age 26)	18	3	Austin	v.  Niger, 18 November 2024
FW	Joseph Paintsil	(1998-02-01) 1 February 1998 (age 27)	15	0	LA Galaxy	v.  Niger, 18 November 2024
FW	Ibrahim Osman	(2004-11-29) 29 November 2004 (age 20)	2	0	Feyenoord	v.  Niger, 18 November 2024
Notes CNC Cancelled match. WD Withdrew. INJ Withdrew because of injury. PRE Preliminary squad. RET Retired from international football. SUS Suspended from the team.

Local Team Players

The Ghana Football Association also manages a national team made up of players who play only in the local league, the Ghana Premier League. This team is called the Local Black Stars.

Team Records

Players in bold are still active with Ghana.

Most Appearances

André Ayew is Ghana's most capped player with 117 appearances.

Top Goalscorers

Asamoah Gyan is Ghana's top goalscorer with 51 goals.

Team Captains

• Awuley Quaye (1978)
• Kuuku Dadzie (1980–1982)
• Emmanuel Quarshie (1982–1984)
• Isaac Paha (1984)
• James Kwesi Appiah (1984–1992)
• Abedi Pele (1992–1998)
• Charles Akonnor (1999–2001)
• Stephen Appiah (2002–2010)
• John Mensah (2010–2012)
• Asamoah Gyan (2012–2019)
• André Ayew (2019–)

Competitive Achievements

FIFA World Cup Appearances

At the 2006 World Cup and vs. Uruguay in the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarter-final match at Soccer City, Johannesburg on 2 July 2010

Ghana has qualified for the FIFA World Cup four times: in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2022. In 2006, they were the only African team to reach the second round in Germany. FIFA ranked them 13th out of 32 teams that year.

In the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Ghana made it past the group stages and reached the quarter-finals. They were eliminated by Uruguay after a penalty shootout. FIFA ranked them 7th in that tournament.

After beating Egypt in November 2013, Ghana qualified for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. They were in Group G with Germany, United States, and Portugal. For the first time, they did not advance from the group stage, with one draw and two losses.

FIFA World Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Campaign
1930 to 1954	Part of United Kingdom										Part of United Kingdom
1958	Not a FIFA member										Not a FIFA member
1962	Did not qualify										4	1	2	1	6	4	1962
1966	Withdrew										Withdrew
1970	Did not qualify										2	0	1	1	2	3	1970
1974	Did not qualify										6	4	1	1	14	5	1974
1978											3	1	0	2	3	5	1978
1982	Withdrew										Withdrew
1986	Did not qualify										4	1	2	1	2	2	1986
1990	Did not qualify										2	0	1	1	0	2	1990
1994											4	2	0	2	4	3	1994
1998											8	2	4	2	9	8	1998
2002											10	5	2	3	14	11	2002
2006	Round of 16	13th	4	2	0	2	4	6	Squad		12	8	3	1	24	4	2006
2010	Quarter-finals	7th	5	2	2	1	5	4	Squad		12	8	1	3	20	8	2010
2014	Group stage	25th	3	0	1	2	4	6	Squad		8	6	0	2	25	6	2014
2018	Did not qualify										8	2	5	1	9	5	2018
2022	Group stage	24th	3	1	0	2	5	7	Squad		8	4	3	1	8	4	2022
2026	Qualification in progress										6	5	0	1	15	5	2026
2030	To be determined										To be determined						2030
2034																	2034
Total	Quarter-finals	4/16	15	5	3	7	18	23	–	97	49	25	23	155	75

Africa Cup of Nations Success

At the 2015 AFCON vs. Guinea in the quarter-finals.

The Black Stars of Ghana have won the Africa Cup of Nations four times: in 1963, 1965, 1978, and 1982. Only Cameroon and Egypt have won more titles. Ghana was the first team to win three AFCON tournaments, earning the right to keep the trophy permanently in 1978.

In November 2024, after a 1–1 draw against Angola, Ghana did not qualify for the 2025 AFCON. This was the first time they missed the tournament since 2004.

Africa Cup of Nations record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Campaign
1957	Not affiliated to CAF										Not affiliated to CAF
1959
1962	Did not qualify										2	0	2	0	2	2	1962
1963	Champions	1st	3	2	1	0	6	1	Squad		Qualified as hosts
1965	Champions	1st	3	3	0	0	12	5	Squad		Qualified as defending champions
1968	Runners-up	2nd	5	3	1	1	11	8	Squad		Qualified as defending champions
1970	Runners-up	2nd	5	2	2	1	6	4	Squad		2	2	0	0	15	1	1970
1972	Did not qualify										2	0	1	1	0	1	1972
1974											4	1	0	3	3	7	1974
1976											4	2	0	2	7	5	1976
1978	Champions	1st	5	4	1	0	9	2	Squad		Qualified as hosts
1980	Group stage	5th	3	1	1	1	1	1	Squad		Qualified as defending champions
1982	Champions	1st	5	2	3	0	7	5	Squad		4	2	2	0	6	4	1982
1984	Group stage	6th	3	1	0	2	2	4	Squad		Qualified as defending champions
1986	Did not qualify										4	1	2	1	5	4	1986
1988											2	0	1	1	1	2	1988
1990											2	1	0	1	1	1	1990
1992	Runners-up	2nd	5	4	1	0	6	2	Squad		8	5	2	1	11	2	1992
1994	Quarter-finals	5th	3	2	0	1	3	2	Squad		2	2	0	0	3	0	1994
1996	Fourth place	4th	6	4	0	2	7	5	Squad		4	3	0	1	9	3	1996
1998	Group stage	11th	3	1	0	2	3	3	Squad		4	2	1	1	4	3	1998
2000	Quarter-finals	8th	4	1	1	2	3	4	Squad		Qualified as hosts
2002		7th	4	1	2	1	2	2	Squad		6	4	1	1	16	8	2002
2004	Did not qualify										4	1	1	2	5	5	2004
2006	Group stage	10th	3	1	0	2	2	3	Squad		10	6	3	1	17	4	2006
2008	Third place	3rd	6	5	0	1	11	5	Squad		Qualified as hosts
2010	Runners-up	2nd	5	3	0	2	4	4	Squad		12	8	1	3	20	8	2010
2012	Fourth place	4th	6	3	1	2	6	5	Squad		6	5	1	0	13	1	2012
2013	Fourth place	4th	6	3	2	1	10	6	Squad		2	2	0	0	3	0	2013
2015	Runners-up	2nd	6	4	1	1	10	3	Squad		6	3	2	1	11	7	2015
2017	Fourth place	4th	6	3	0	3	4	5	Squad		6	4	2	0	14	3	2017
2019	Round of 16	12th	4	1	3	0	5	3	Squad		4	3	0	1	8	1	2019
2021	Group stage	19th	3	0	1	2	3	5	Squad		6	4	1	1	9	3	2021
2023		17th	3	0	2	1	5	6	Squad		6	3	3	0	8	3	2023
2025	Did not qualify										6	0	3	3	3	7	2025
2027	To be determined										To be determined
2029
Total	4 Titles	24/35	105	54	23	28	138	93	–	118	64	29	25	194	85

*Draws include matches decided by penalty shoot-out.

West African Nations Cups

West African Nations Cup (SCSA Zone III) Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA GD 1982 Final Winner 5 3 2 0 14 8 +6 1983 Final Winner 4 3 1 0 7 2 +5 1984 Final Winner 5 2 3 0 9 5 +4 1986 Final Winner 6 5 1 0 12 2 +10 1987 Final Winner 5 5 0 0 14 2 +12 Total 25 18 7 0 56 19 +37

West African Football Union Nations Cup Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA GD 2010 Semi-final Third place 5 4 0 1 11 3 +8 2011 Semi-final 4th place 4 1 0 3 5 8 −3 2013 Final Winner 4 3 0 1 9 4 +5 Total 13 8 0 5 25 15 +10

Olympic Games Participation

Olympic Games record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1900 to 1956	Part of United Kingdom
Rome 1960	Did not qualify
Tokyo 1964	Quarter-finals	7th	4	1	1	2	7	12	Squad
Mexico 1968	Group stage	12th	3	0	2	1	6	8	Squad
Munich 1972		16th	3	0	0	3	1	11	Squad
Montreal 1976	Withdrew after qualifying
Moscow 1980
Los Angeles 1984	Did not qualify
Seoul 1988
Since 1992	See Ghana national under-23 football team
Total	Quarter-finals	3/8	10	1	3	6	14	31	–

Team Honours and Awards

Continental Titles CAF African Cup of Nations Champions (4): 1963, 1965, 1978, 1982 Runners-up (5): 1968, 1970, 1992, 2010, 2015 Third place (1): 2008 CAF African Nations Championship Runners-up (2): 2009, 2014 African Games1 Bronze medal (1): 1978

Regional Competitions West African Nations Cup Champions (5): 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987 WAFU Nations Cup Champions (2): 2013, 2017 Runners-up (1): 2019 Third place (1): 2010 Friendly Tournament Wins Nkrumah Cup Champions (3): 1959, 1960, 1963 Ugandan Independence Tournament Champions (1): 1962 Pestabola Merdeka Runners-up (1): 1982 Samuel K. Doe Cup Runners-up (1): 1986 Black Stars Tournament (Libreville, Gabon) Third place (1): 1993 Great Artificial River Championship (Libya) Runners-up (1): 1999 LG Cup Third place (1): 2003 Unity Cup Third place (1): 2025

Special Awards

• FIFA Best Mover of the Year: 2005
• African National Team of the Year: 1983, 2006, 2010

Summary of Major Honours

Senior Competition				Total
CAF African Cup of Nations	4	5	1	10
CAF African Nations Championship	0	2	0	2
Total	4	7	1	12

1. Competition organized by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, officially not recognized by FIFA.

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Ghana para niños