Black Stars defender, Tariq Lamptey, has urged the team to put the disappointment of not qualifying for the next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) behind them and 'focus' on the next targets.

Ghana will not be at this year's tournament to be staged in Morocco after finishing bottom of their qualification group which also had Sudan, Angola and Niger.

While the failure to qualify to the continental tournament comes as a shock especially for the first time in 20 years, Lamptey has urged his teammates and Ghanaians in general not to dwell so much on the disappointment.

"As a team, we always want to qualify for every major tournament and compete at the highest level. Missing out on AFCON is disappointing, but we have some big games coming up, so we have to look forward to that," he told Telecom Asia Sport.

"We go into every tournament looking to qualify and win it, but now we have to shift our focus to the games in March.

"We still have a lot to play for, and it's crucial that we come together as a team, work hard, and ensure we are prepared for the challenges ahead."

The Black Stars reassemble for their next task in March where they come up against Chad and Madagascar in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Ghana sits second in their group despite being levelled on points with Comoros after four games played.