Ghana

The Black Stars are one of Africa's founding football powers, celebrated for a golden 1960s-80s era and a fiercely loyal fanbase that treats every AFCON as a birthright pursuit. Ghana plays with athletic, attacking football and has repeatedly produced individual talents who shine on Europe's biggest stages. The program carries the pressure and pride of being one of the continent's most historically successful sides even as recent tournament droughts have tested patience at home.

Ghana's federation was founded in 1957, the same year the country gained independence, and the Black Stars quickly became Africa's first football superpower, winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982. The team narrowly missed a first World Cup semifinal in 2010, losing to Uruguay on penalties after a last-gasp handball denied them in extra time. Legends like Abedi Pele and, more recently, Asamoah Gyan have defined Ghana's modern football identity.