Charles Kumi Gyamfi became coach in 1961, leading Ghana to successiveAfrican Cup of Nations titles, in1963 and1965. The Black Stars achieved their record win, 13–2 away toKenya, in the latter.[15] They reached the final of the tournament in1968 and1970, losing 1–0 on both occasions, toDR Congo andSudan respectively.[16] Their domination of the tournament earned them the nickname "the Black Stars of Africa" in the 1960s.[17]
Fortunes changed for the Black Stars however, after they failed to qualify for three successive AFCONs in the 1970s.[18] In the early 1980s, however, with emerging talents such asAbedi Pele, the Black Stars defeated1982 AFCON hostsLibya in thefinal to win their fourth and to date, last continental title.[19] Fortunes changed again however, as in the 1984 tournament, they were knocked out in the group stages, before failing to qualify for the 1986, 1988 and 1990 tournaments.[20] In 1992, the Black Stars would finish runners-up to theIvory Coast in a penalty shootout after a goalless draw, which saw every player on the pitch take a penalty, in which they were beaten 11-10,[21] withAfrican Footballer of the Year Abedi Pele suspended for the final.[22]
Under head coachMilovan Rajevac, the Black Stars went on to secure a 100% win record in theirqualification campaign, winning their group and becoming the first African team to qualify for the2010 FIFA World Cup. In the final tournament, they were placed in Group D withGermany,Serbia andAustralia, advancing to the round of 16 after finishing second in their group. They played the United States, winning 2–1 in extra time to become only the third African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals, before losing toUruguay in apenalty shootout in the quarter-finals, after Uruguayan forwardLuis Suárez blocked a header with his hand in the penalty box in extra time and was sent off.Asamoah Gyan missed the penalty given for the handball, with the score 1–1. Ghana went on to lose the penalty shootout 4–2, twelve years beforeMorocco became the first African team to qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup.[24]
In 2013, Ghana became the first team to reach four consecutive African Cup of Nations semi-finals twice, with the first occasion between 1963 and 1970.[25]
The Black Stars won theirsecond round group of2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying, and defeatedEgypt 7–3 on aggregate in a two-legged play-off,[26] qualifying for the finals. They were drawn inGroup G for the finals, where they facedGermany,Portugal, and theUnited States.[27] They exited in the group stage recording one draw against eventual champions Germany and two losses. However, they were the only team to not lose to Germany in the tournament, and the only team to hold onto a lead against the Germans at any point.
In the2015 Africa Cup of Nations, they reached the final, being denied the title on penalties againstIvory Coast. While their2017 Africa Cup of Nations campaign ended in a 4th-place finish, they finished behindEgypt andUganda in their final groupqualifiers for the2018 FIFA World Cup. At the2019 Africa Cup of Nations, they were eliminated byTunisia in the round of 16. In 2021, manager Rajevac was brought back, but the Black Stars ended up failing to win a match at theAFCON where they lost 2–3 to debutantsthe Comoros after anAndré Ayew red card to finish bottom of their group, failing to progress beyond the group stage for the first time since 2006. They drew 0–0 in a match againstNigeria and drew 1–1 in Nigeria to qualify for the2022 FIFA World Cup onaway goals.[28] During the2022 FIFA World Cup, Ghana lost their first match againstPortugal 3–2. They earned their first and only victory in their second match againstSouth Korea by the same scoreline. A victory againstUruguay was required for a spot in the round of 16 in a rematch of the 2010 quarter-final; Ghana instead lost 2–0 and thus finished bottom, while Uruguay was eliminated as well, as a result of South Korea upsetting Portugal.
The official jersey colours for the Black Stars are white for home games and yellow for away games.[31]
Adopted following the independence of Ghana in 1957, the black star has been included in the Black Stars' kits. TheBlack Stars' kits were sponsored byPuma SE from 2005, with the deal ending in 2014.[32]
Badge and anthem
Between 1990 and 2006 the Ghana national team used the kit in the colours of the national flag of Ghana, with gold, green and red used, as in the team'screst and also known as thePan-African colours. The gold with green and red kit concept and design was used in the 60s and 70s, and designed with gold and green vertical stripes and red shoulders. An all black second kit was introduced in 2008 and in 2015, Black Stars' gold-red-green coloured kit and all black coloured kit is to be reassigned to the position of 1st and 2nd kits following the induction of a brown with blue and gold coloured Black Stars 3rd kit in 2012.[33][34]
The Black Stars had no official head because of "corrupt" practices[37][38][39] by the then president,Kwesi Nyantakyi[40] and vice-president George Afriyie,[41] with Frank Davis asdirector of football, and Edward Bawa as treasurer.[42] The Ghana Football Association (GFA) signed aCN¥92.2 million (US$15 million) deal with Ghanaian state-runoil and gas exploration corporation,Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), tosponsor the Black Stars and the renewable contract saw the oil and gas exploration corporation become the global headline sponsor of the Black Stars, with a yearly Black Stars player salary wage bill,[43][44] following thegold mining corporationsAshanti Goldfields Corporation and Goldfields Ghana Limited (GGL), which had been sponsoring the Black Stars since 2005.
On 28 August 2013, Ghana Football Association (GFA) launched aTV channel and namedGFA TV. The channel has theexclusive rights to broadcast all the Black Stars' matches.[45] In November 2013, the Black Stars signed a 2013–2015 CN¥30.6 million (US$5 million) and an additionalclassified multi-millionprivate bank sponsorship deal with the Ghanaian state-runprivate banking institutionUniBank.[46]
Ghanaian supporters at the 2015 AFCON match between Ghana and Guinea
The Black Stars maintain an average stadium match attendance of over 60,000, with 84,017 watching the2010 FIFA World Cup quarter-final againstUruguay.[47] Ghana's match againstEngland on 29 March 2011 had the largest away following for any association football national team since the re-opening ofWembley Stadium in 2007.[48] The match was watched by 700 million people around the world.[48]
Ghana is rivals withNigeria. The "Battle of Supremacy on theGulf of Guinea" is between two of the "most successful teams on the African continent".[50] The proximity of the two countries to each other, a dispute between the different association football competitions andwider diplomatic competition for influence across West Africa add to this rivalry.[50][51] The match between these two countries is called theJollof derby.[52]
Products including books, documentary films,Azonto dances and songs have been made in the name of the team. These may be intended with commercial motives and are focused on previous and futureWorld Cups orAfrica Cup of Nations tournaments.
Books: books have been published on the team's history and participation in tournaments. These includeGhana, The Rediscovered Soccer Might: Watch Out World!,[54] about the history and performance of the Black Stars and association footballnational teams that the Black Stars have played against, andThe Black Stars of Ghana by Alan Whelan;[55] about Black Stars commencing their progress through the final rounds of the 2010 World Cup and into the quarter-finals.
Documentary films: In 2010 Miracle Films Ghana Limited showcased a vintage documentary film picture,Kwame Nkrumah & Ghana's Black Stars, about OsagyefoKwame Nkrumah "Africa's man of the 2nd millennium" and "Pan-African pioneer",[56] who invested energy into making Ghana's association football national team – the Black Stars – a force in African soccer.[57]
Dances: upon the Black Stars scoring against opposition teams, dance forms of the GhanaianAzonto were performed by Black Stars players in theirgoal celebrations in match victories at the 2010 World Cup and in 2013, an elite dance version of the Ghanaian Azonto named; "(Akan:Mmonko)" (shrimp), was established and showcased at the2013 Africa Cup of Nations by the Black Stars players.[58] Black Starsgoal celebrations in match victories at the 2014 World Cup and upon scoring against opposition teams, are to establish and showcaseAlkayida.[59]
Songs: On occasions of pastWorld Cups orAfrican Championships, a number of musicians with music producers createdhiplifefootball songs which were composed in theAkan language – the 2006 World Cup song, "Akan:Tuntum Nsorom Ye Ko Yen Anim", (Black Stars, We are moving forward)musical composed by theMusicians Union of Ghana, is to motivate the Black Stars to perform creditably in its quest for the capturing of the World Cup trophy.[60] Black Stars'captain and top-goalscorerAsamoah Gyan recorded and released aHiplife song with 'Castro The Destroyer', where he features under the alias 'Baby Jet'. The song is entitled "African Girls" and is sung in the Akan language and was launched onto the Ghanaian screens, continental West Africa screens and onto theSub-Saharan Africa screens. The music video shows the "Asamoah Gyan Dance"goal celebration which he demonstrated at the 2010 World Cup. The song "African Girls" won an award at the Ghana Music Awards in 2011. The 2010 World Cup song, "Ghana Black Stars (Official Song 2010 World Cup)" composed by Ghanaian hiplife music group "Kings and Queens Entertainment" approved by theGhana Football Association (GFA) as GFA has indicated that the Black Stars are a protected brand.[61]
The football association of Ghana (GFA) administers national teams at different levels, including 1 for the local national team. The team is restricted to players who only play in the local league, thus theGhana Premier League. It is nicknamedLocal Black Stars.[80][81][82]
Ghana have qualified for 5FIFA World Cup tournaments, in2006,2010,2014,2022 and2026. In 2006, it was the only African side to advance to thesecond round in Germany, and was the sixth nation in a row from Africa to progress beyond the group stages of the World Cup.[93] Ghana had the youngest team in the2006 edition with an average age of 23 years and 352 days,[93] and were praised for their improving performance.[94][95]FIFA ranked Ghana 13th out of the 32 countries who competed in the tournament.[96]
In the2010 World Cup, Ghana reached thequarter-finals where they were eliminated byUruguay, afterLuis Suárez's handball prevented a possible winning goal.[97] Of the 32 countries that participated in the 2010 edition, FIFA ranked Ghana 7th.[98]
After beatingEgypt 7–3 on aggregate in November 2013, Ghana qualified for the2014 World Cup in Brazil.[99] For the first time, Ghana were eliminated in the group stage, drawing 2–2 against Germany, and losing to the United States and Portugal 2–1.[100] Eight years later, Ghana failed to advance past the group stage again, at the2022 World Cup in Qatar.[101]
At the 2015 AFCON vs. Guinea in the quarter-finals.
TheBlack Stars of Ghana have won the Africa Cup of Nations four times: in1963,1965,1978, and1982, bettered only byCameroon andEgypt. As the first winner of three AFCON tournaments, Ghana obtained the right to permanently hold the trophy in 1978.[102]
In November 2024, following a 1–1 draw againstAngola, Ghana failed to qualify for the2025 AFCON, missing the tournament for the first time since 2004.[103][104]
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