Makondo Hachikwamuna Mukando, a Zambian sports journalist, has stated that the current Black Stars does not strike fear into their opponents anymore.

Ghana have experienced a recent decline in Africa Cup of Nations performances. In the 2019 edition, they were knocked out by Tunisia in the round of 16. Before that showpiece, the Black Stars were regulars in the semi-final stage.

In an interview on the Joy Sports Link on Saturday, Mukando likened Ghana's decline to that of Zambia, who since winning the trophy in 2012 have appeared at the tournament two times. The Chipolopolo won't be in Cameroon next year.

"Ghana doesn't strike much fear anymore. I think Ghana and Zambia are going through similar situations with regards to their football, especially on the African continent. In the past, I could literally name the starting lineup and the first three substitutes of the Black Stars," he told Nathaniel Attoh.

"As it is now, you know a couple of players [in Black Stars] but you are not really sure how they are performing or how they made it into the national team. I think that is the same dynamic that we in Zambia are going through right now."

He went on to highlight the decline in Ghana's youth talents.

"[Ghana's decline] has been the chain of performances. Ghana was one of the teams in West Africa alongside Nigeria that was training a lot of youth talents. You could trace where the success is coming from and the progression of these players. We can talk about how Kwadwo Asamoah and Partey came from the youth system but which players are now coming up [to replace them]? When we ask Ghanaian players who are playing in the Zambian league to mention some new talents to look out for, they are kind of clueless."

Mukando also revealed his expectations for the next AFCON which will be played next year.

"I am looking at a lot of surprises [in the next AFCON]. Look at what Madagascar did in the last edition in 2019. The so called minnows have taken advantage of the 24 team system in the AFCON. I am really looking forward to an interesting competition."

Ghana have already qualified for the next edition of the tournament with 10 points due to a superior head-to-head record over South Africa and Sudan.