Ghana’s Duncan admits AFCON frustration

Sassuolo's Alfred Duncan

Tuesday Jun 23, 2020. 13:00

Ghanaian international Alfred Duncan has admitted feeling immense frustration over the Black Stars’ inability to end their long Africa Cup of Nations drought.

With four AFCON titles to their name, Ghana is one of the most successful nations in the history of the continental competition, but their last triumph was in 1982 – almost 40 years ago.

The Black Stars have come close to ending the drought in the past decade, ending as runners-up in 2010 and 2015, and Duncan is hopeful they won’t have much longer to wait.

“Obviously it’s something that is very frustrating because even when we are not in camp and we are in our various clubs, sometimes we get the opportunity to talk [among ourselves and] it’s something we talk about the most,” Duncan told Citi FM, as quoted by Goal.

“It’s something we also have in mind because most of the players also want to be great like the likes of Abedi Pele. Obviously we used to hear about them.

“Even having our team manager Stephen Appiah next to us, you also feel like I will like to win something with the national team or you want to get to the level where the old players got to what made them what they are today; that got them the names they have today.”

The 27-year-old Duncan, who plays for Fiorentina in Italy, missed out on the 2017 and 2019 AFCON tournaments due to injury.

He will hope to make the Black Stars’ squad for the 2021 event, which is scheduled to be held in Cameroon from 9 January to 6 February (though the coronavirus pandemic will likely see these dates change).