Dr. Freda Pempeh, the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources has challenged the Ghana Black Stars to use the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 to redeem the image of the national team. There are 24 national teams from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) battling to be crowned kings of the continent in the 34th edition of the AFCON, being held in Cote D'Ivoire and kicks off Saturday January 13, 2024. Veteran Manager Chris Hughton's side plays against Cape Verde on Sunday night at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan. In an interview with the GNA Sports in Sunyani, Dr Prempeh, also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano North in the Ahafo Region, asked the Ghana Football Association to endeavpur to 'stay out' of the selection of the players. She said she had great confidence in the national team, however, challenged the Black Stars to 'remember Ghanaians are expecting you to redeem the sinking image of the national team'. Dr Prempeh wished the Black Stars and the techn ical team good luck, saying 'our hopes in the AFCON look brighter'. Meanwhile, some football fans and enthusiasts in the Bono Regional capital have expressed misgivings over Ghana's encounter with the Cape Verde side. In a random interview with the GNA sports at the Sunyani Central Business District (CBD) on Saturday, some of the fans said their confidence in the Black Stars was still higher, despite the team's abysmal performances in recent times. Though others said they had some doubts in the players, and anticipated the technical team would remain truthful in the selection and featuring of the players. Source: Ghana News Agency