Ghana President John Dramani Mahama has urged the country’s senior national team, the Black Stars, to do everything possible to end the 33 years of cup drought of the country by winning the Sunday African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final game against Ivory Coast.
Speaking at the graduation of senior officer police cadets in Accra on Friday, Mahama said that it was time for the Stars to bring the trophy home and congratulated them on the impressive performance that overshadowed the support base of the host nation.
“We continue to pray and hope that the Black Stars will do us proud and for the fifth time in history, bring the African Cup home,” he said.
Ghana had won the AFCON trophy for the last time in 1982 in Tripoli, Libya and had since reached nine finals with five consecutive semi-finals.
As the Black Stars face the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in an ambitious AFCON final on Sunday, Mahama urged all and sundry to hope, pray and support the Stars to do the country proud.
“All of us had our hearts gladdened by a sterling performance of the Ghana Black Stars in Equatorial Guinea in their match against the host nation,” Mahama said.
Ghana played Ivory Coast in the Cup of Nations final in 1992 hosted by Senegal which the Elephants won through marathon penalty kicks.