AM DISAPPOINTED THAT WE HAVE NOT FACED A GREATER CHALLENGE SINCE WINNING THE FIFA U-20 WORLD CUP” — EMMANUEL AGYEMAN BADU, FORMER BLACK STARS PLAYER

Former Ghana international Emmanuel Agyemang Badu has expressed disappointment over the lack of greater challenges following Ghana’s historic triumph at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Reflecting on the achievement, which took place 17 years ago, Agyemang Badu admitted that the historic victory remains an emotional moment for him and the nation. “It has been 17 years, and I still feel a little emotional about it. It was a moment of glory for the nation and for me personally. I love challenges, so I expected us to face greater challenges after winning the FIFA U-20 World Cup. I am very disappointed,” he said. The former Black Stars midfielder further explained that he has always wanted to leave a lasting legacy wherever he finds himself. However, he expressed regret over his inability to help Ghana win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), describing it as one of the most disappointing moments of his career. “Wherever I find myself, I want to leave a legacy. It really pains me that I could not help Ghana win the AFCON. In fact, it was my worst performance. My best performance was at the Puskás Tournament,” he added. Agyemang Badu also raised concerns about Ghana's coaching appointment system, calling for a review of the criteria used to select coaches for the national teams. According to him, he has consistently expressed these concerns over the past four years and believes the current system needs to be changed to improve the country's football development. “I have a problem with how we select our coaches in Ghana. I have been saying this for the past four years. I know that every coach comes with his own technical team, but I believe we need to change our system of selecting coaches. The criteria must be reviewed,” he stated. Commenting on Kim Lars Björkegren, the coach of Ghana's Black Queens, Agyemang Badu described him as a good coach but cautioned that the pressure associated with managing the Black Queens differs from that of the Black Stars. He noted that the coach has spent considerable time in Ghana and is therefore familiar with the country's football environment and challenges. Agyemang Badu expressed optimism about Ghana's chances of defeating Somalia but declined to predict the exact scoreline. However, he warned that Ghana's qualification prospects could become complicated if the necessary measures are not taken. “Kim Lars is a very good coach. However, the pressure at the Black Queens is different from that of the Black Stars. He has been in Ghana for a while, so he understands our situation. I am very optimistic that Ghana will win against Somalia, but I cannot predict the exact scoreline. “If care is not taken, our qualification will become difficult. I said this more than four years ago,” he added. Agyemang Badu made these remarks during an interview with Paul Napoleon Agyeman, host of Scoreboard.