Former Black Stars defender, Anthony Baffoe, has provided his perspective on Ghana’s draw for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), describing the placement in Group B alongside Egypt as a formidable challenge.
Despite acknowledging the draw’s difficulty, the German-born Ghanaian expressed his confidence in Ghana’s ability to advance from the group stage as one of the top two teams. Completing Group B are Cape Verde and Mozambique.
“It’s a very tricky group with Egypt, a formidable team led by Mohamed Salah. Cape Verde has posed challenges for us in the past, and Mozambique adds another dimension as a Portuguese-speaking country,” Baffoe shared with the media following the draw in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Baffoe also emphasized Ghana’s quality to compete effectively in the tournament next year.
“I’m confident that we will emerge first or second in the group. While our performance in the last tournament in Cameroon was lackluster, we historically perform well in tournaments. We still have experienced players like Thomas Partey, Jordan Ayew, and the emerging superstar Mohammed Kudus in the team.”
Baffoe continued, “We are stable with our goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi. I have confidence in the team. It won’t be easy, but I believe Ghana will progress from this group. The gap between the teams is narrowing, but we must remain vigilant to perform well.”
The 2023 AFCON is set to commence on January 13 and culminate on February 11, 2024, promising a month of intense and exhilarating football action.
