The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has issued an apology for the national team's early exit from the World Cup -- just four years on from the Black Stars' best ever showing in the tournament.
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Ghana became only the third African team in history to qualify for the quarterfinals of the competition -- after Cameroon and Senegal -- in 2010, and would have booked a place in the last four had Asamoah Gyan converted a last-minute penalty in extra-time.
As a result, expectations back home were high this time around, yet the Black Stars ended up finishing bottom of Group G with just a point to their name.
To compound matters, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari were both sent home from the Ghana camp on the morning of the Portugal clash for allegedly insulting coach Kwesi Appiah and attacking a GFA member respectively.
Ghana President Paul Biya has previously called for an investigation following the display, and speaking at a post-World Cup news conference in Accra on Wednesday, GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi said the Black Stars had failed to meet the standards expected of them.
"Admittedly, the performance of the team fell below the expectation of many Ghanaians," he said.
"Our inability to qualify to the second round broke many Ghanaian hearts. We wish to offer our unqualified apologies for the disappointment."