How the Black Stars fared under NDC and NPP: A performance analysis

Ghana’s Black Stars, the nation’s pride on the football pitch, have experienced fluctuating fortunes in major tournaments under successive governments, with their performances often coinciding with political administrations.

Since Ghana returned to democratic rule in 1992, the team’s achievements in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and FIFA World Cup provide a lens through which to examine the influence or at least the backdrop of the ruling parties: the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Under President Jerry John Rawlings, the early NDC years brought moments of promise. The Black Stars reached the 1992 AFCON final in Senegal but lost to Ivory Coast on penalties, marking the team’s best showing in that period. However, subsequent tournaments were less remarkable, with Ghana failing to progress beyond the quarter-finals, signalling a period of inconsistency despite glimpses of talent.

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The NPP government, under President John Agyekum Kufuor, saw a mixed start for Ghanaian football. The Black Stars struggled at AFCON, finishing 8th in 2000, 7th in 2002, and failing to qualify for the 2004 tournament—a first since 1990.

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A resurgence came in 2008, when Ghana co-hosted AFCON and secured third place, signalling a revival. The most notable milestone of this period, however, was the team’s first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance in Germany in 2006. Ghana reached the Round of 16 before bowing out to Brazil, a remarkable achievement that announced the Black Stars on the global stage.

The NDC governments of Presidents John Evans Atta Mills and John Dramani Mahama oversaw arguably the most successful period in Ghanaian football history.

AFCON: Ghana reached the finals in 2010 (Angola) and 2015, narrowly losing on penalties to Ivory Coast on both occasions. The team also achieved fourth-place finishes in 2012 and 2013.

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FIFA World Cup: The 2010 tournament in South Africa remains historic, as Ghana reached the quarterfinals, missing a semi-final berth in dramatic fashion against Uruguay. The 2014 World Cup in Brazil, however, was disappointing, with Ghana exiting at the group stage amid controversies.

This period highlighted the Black Stars’ competitive consistency, demonstrating how the blend of experience, talent, and preparation can produce remarkable results.

The return of the NPP under President Nana Akufo-Addo coincided with a downturn in performance.

AFCON: The Black Stars struggled, finishing fourth in 2017, reaching only the Round of 16 in 2019, and suffering group-stage exits in 2021 and 2023. Shockingly, the team failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON—a first for decades.

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FIFA World Cup: Ghana failed to qualify for the 2018 tournament. In 2022, the team returned to the World Cup in Qatar but was eliminated at the group stage, further highlighting the period’s underwhelming results.

Ghana has qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking the fifth appearance in the nation’s history. This early success under the NDC suggests a potential revival for the Black Stars as they prepare for the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The performance record under the NDC and NPP illustrates contrasting trajectories:

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NDC: Particularly during 2009–2016, the NDC era is remembered as Ghana’s golden football period, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals and consistent AFCON finals appearances. Earlier NDC periods (1992–2000) offered flashes of promise but lacked sustained success.

NPP: The NPP’s tenure brought historic moments such as Ghana’s World Cup debut in 2006, but recent years have seen a steep decline, with underperformance in AFCON tournaments and World Cup failures culminating in the 2025 AFCON qualification failure.

The Black Stars’ fortunes have thus oscillated between periods of brilliance and disappointment, reflecting both the challenges of maintaining consistency on the continental and global stage and the changing structures and support around Ghanaian football during different political administrations.