West Ham United and Jamaica striker Michail Antonio says it’s a major disappointment that Ghana may fail to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Speaking on Prime Take with Muftawu Nabila Abdulai, Antonio was surprised to learn that Ghana, a country that has featured in every AFCON since 2006, could miss out on the next tournament in Morocco.

“Ghana hasn’t qualified for the AFCON?” Antonio reacted, visibly taken aback when he learnt Ghana would not be participating.

He went on to say that the Black Stars have lost a bit of momentum.

“It’s very disappointing, but to be fair, Ghana is going through a transition right now. New players are coming in, trying to rediscover the philosophy they used to have, the quality that Ghana used to have… to be fair, they still have some quality now.”

The West Ham United all-time leading goalscorer spoke highly of former Black Stars captain Andre Ayew, whom he played with at West Ham.

“I played with Andre Ayew, a top-quality player, very good player, technically unbelievable, and he always knew where the goal was. He’s now the Prince of Ghana, isn’t he?” he said.

When told that Ayew rarely gets called up now, Antonio said he understood, explaining that football teams constantly seek younger talent.

“He’s getting a bit older now, obviously, and new boys are coming in. It’s normal – it happens to all footballers all the time. You get through the older players and try to bring in someone new.

“It’s the same thing with me at West Ham. Every year they try to replace me with young players, but obviously, I’m still here.

“It happens. At the end of the day, players get older, and they look for something new, they look for new quality, because some of the things you could do when you were younger, you probably can’t do them now. You’re no longer as quick as you used to be, so it’s normal.”

Prime Take with Michail Antonio will air on Friday, 15th November 2024, at 7:20 am on JoyNews, Saturday at 7:30 pm, with a repeat on Sunday at 11 am.