After appearing in all six matches in Ghana's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification run, Afful was named to the squad for the final tournament on 7 January 2015. He appeared in every match at the tournament, helping the Black Stars reach the final against Ivory Coast. Afful scored his attempt in the penalty shootout as the eighth taker, but Ghana were defeated 9–8 on spot kicks; for the second time, he finished as an AFCON runner-up. Later that year, Afful captained Ghana for the first time, leading the team to a 3–2 victory over Congo on 1 September. He was back in an AFCON squad two years later, earning a place in the Ghanaian team for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Afful played every minute in the tournament, helping the Black Stars to a fourth-place finish after falling to Burkina Faso in the third place match.