Former Ghana defender John Paintsil believes the Black Stars will win the Africa Cup of Nations if they get past the difficult hurdle posed by host nation Equatorial Guinea in tonight’s semi-final.
Ghana are into their fifth consecutive Afcon semi-final, and although they are four-time winners of the biggest football prize on the continent, none of their current squad were even born when the country last won the competition in 1982.
Paintsil – who earned 89 international caps – is confident if they prevail in what is expected to be an explosive semi-final then the 33-year-long wait for the cup to be showcased in Accra will be over.
“We are just one game away from the Final and for us playing the host nation will be tricky,” Paintsil – who now plays for Maritzburg United – tells KickOff.com.
“I love the unity and hunger in this squad. I am sure if we beat the host nation in the semi-finals then we will take the cup home because in the Final it is not about performance but enjoying the moment which I feel is something that we are ready for.
Once we get past the host nation then we will not let go of the trophy in the Final. Actually, as long as we beat Equatorial Guinea in the semi-finals the people back home must already start celebrating and waiting for the trophy to arrive in our beloved country.
“What has really impressed me about the Black Stars is that we are not way too reliant on super stars in the team but we play collectively as a team. The unity in the team is what I reckon will take us through to where we want to be.
In a tournament you always need such unity to be successful because you are in camp together for a month and during that time you have to stand together,” says the 33-year-old.
Paintsil – who has played for West Ham United, Leicester City and Fulham in England – won his last cap in the penalty shoot-out defeat to Burkina Faso in the semi-finals of the 2013 AFCON played here in South Africa.
Ivory Coast await in Sunday's Final after beating DR Congo 3-1 last night.