Day: January 15, 2024

Black Stars defender Alexander Dziku has said the team must work hard to avoid elimination from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote D’ Ivoire, after they were defeated by Cape Verde 2-1, in their opening group game on Sunday.

Having lost the first three points in the competition, Dziku dreads what happened to the team in Cameroon in 2021, might be repeated if they don’t work hard to avoid defeat in the next game.

‘I was in the team during the last AFCON, our elimination in the first round remains the worst memory of my career and I don’t want to relive that,’ he stated at post-match press conference.

Dziku, who won the man of the match award after the Cape Verde defeat, said ‘We deserved more from the match. Just when we were coming into the game, we conceded the second goal, even though we were on top of the game.

‘We didn’t create many chances we didn’t utilize them. It is why we couldn’t win,’ Djiku said.

Djiku put up a solid performance to win the TotalEnergies Man of the Match accolade de
spite his country’s 2-1 defeat to Cape Verde in their Group B opener of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023.

He scored the equalizer and also cleared his lines to prevent a clear goalscoring chance from Cape Verde.

The Black Stars would have to revive against Egypt, who were held to a 2-2 draw by Mozambique.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Rui Vitoria -Head Coach of Egypt, has sent strong warning to the Black Stars ahead of their next game against Ghana in the second group game of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Thursday, January 18 at the Felix Houphouët Boigny stadium in Abidjan.

The seven-time African champions narrowly escaped defeat after a spirited Mozambique side almost edged them but were unlucky to have Mohamed Salah convert from the spot to snatch a late draw.

‘Mozambique has a solid team, I said it before meeting them and that’s what happened today.

‘They gave us a lot of tactical problems with this low pack. This team has excellent elements in midfield. They found gaps in us and they took advantage of it’, said the coach.

‘It’s going to be a different story. We would have to reduce the spaces and be more concentrated because against an experienced team like Ghana, the slightest mistake is paid dearly,’ the Coach noted.

On their defensive errors Vitoria said they would need to urgently work on these as they would be pu
nished severely against teams like Ghana if they are not prepared.

Coach Vitoria says their opponents gave them a lot of tactical problems and they were up against a team that had a good midfield.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Black Stars Head Coach Chris Hughton says getting a good result in their next encounter with the Pharaohs of Egypt will prove crucial to their progression in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) being held in Côte d’Ivoire.

Hughton’s Black Stars suffered another humiliating 2-1 loss against Cape Verde in their first match of this year’s AFCON tournament.

The Black Stars, after the defeat, go bottom of Group B with no points, while Cape Verde tops the group with three points. Egypt and Mozambique have a point each after their 2-2 draw.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Chris Hughton expressed disappointment with his players defensive display after conceding two goals.

The results, according to him, was not what they desired, and they would make amends in their next encounter.

‘Going into the Egypt game, it is a game that we need to have good results from, and that has to be the mentality. The players have to be aware of what this means and how disappointed Ghanaians are. We have no choice but
to get favourable results against Egypt,’ he said.

Chris Hughton further stated that they would continue to train hard to solve their defensive discrepancies so that they would be much stronger in subsequent matches.

The Black Stars of Ghana would take on seven-time winners Egypt in Thursday’s crucial encounter at the Stade Félix-Houphouët-Boigny before taking on Mozambique in the last group match.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mohamed Salah scored a goal deep in second-half added time for the Pharaohs of Egypt as they prevented a massive shock from the Mambas of Mozambique.

The Mozambicans had initially come back from a goal down after scoring twice early in the second half.

Mohamed Ahmed Abdalla gave Egypt a first-half lead with just 90 seconds on the clock in one of the fastest goals at the AFCON tournament.

The FC Nantes strike was very lively in front and could have grabbed his second if not for the brilliant save from Mozambique goalkeeper Alberto Siluane.

The Mozambique side were exciting to watch on the ball but failed to convert their numerous chances created as the first half ended with Egypt maintaining their one-goal lead.

The Mambas of Mozambique were off to a very good start in the second half as they mounted intensely on the Egyptian defence.

The pressure from the Mozambicans eventually paid off as Chimoio Quembo headed in a brilliant header in the 55th minute.

The Pharaohs were certainly rattled by the equalis
er from the Mozambicans, and they were further stunned three minutes later.

Substitute Clesio Bauque pulled off an amazing strike as he ran past veteran defender Ahmed Hegazy and rippled the net with a sublime finish.

The game certainly burst into life with the Egyptians in search of the equaliser.

The pressure from Egypt was intense in the last quarter of the game, and goal line clearance from Domincos Joao denied Egypt an equaliser.

But the Mozambicans could hold onto their lead as Referee Dahane Beida awarded the Egyptians a penalty in second-half added time.

Liverpool’s Mohammed Salah stepped up and struck home from 12 yards to share the spoils with Mozambique.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Some players of the Black Stars were involved in an altercation with some Ghanaian fans after their defeat 2-1 against Cape Verde at the Stade Félix-Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan.

A video has emerged online of some Black Stars players engaging in a verbal altercation with some Ghanaian fans at the team’s Pullman Hotel base in Abidjan later on Sunday evening.

The video saw players and fans exchange unpleasant words during the verbal altercation.

Information gathered by GNA Sports indicates that one particular fan went overboard with his actions and is currently being looked for by the local Police.

The heartbreaking loss against Cape Verde left thousands of Ghanaian fans at the stadium with despair and anger.

Albert Adjei, a Ghanaian fan who is based in Ivory Coast, slammed the performance of the players in the Cape Verde match, saying that coach Chris Hughton’s poor substitutions caused the defeat.

‘The first half display was not encouraging at all, and the players are dedicated to getting us the win. The
coach has to be sacked because he always makes some bad substitutions which always cost us.

‘I don’t think we can qualify because the next match against Egypt is going to be tougher, and I don’t think we have the quality to beat them,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Black Stars goalkeeper Richard Ofori says the team needs to stay united after their 2-1 loss to Cape Verde in their group opener.

Ghana failed to win their first match for the third consecutive African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament, culminating in a slow start for the Black Stars.

Ofori had an impressive outing with the Black Stars making some brilliant saves to prevent Ghana from conceding more goals.

Speaking to the media after the match, the Orlando Pirates goalkeeper stated that they had to put the Cape Verde defeat behind them and focus on the Egypt encounter.

‘Sometimes you don’t get what you want in a game, and there are two sides to the game. You miss your chances, and the opponents take theirs.

‘We just need to focus on the second game, and now there is nothing we can do about the first game. We have to stay united, and this is the critical time we need Ghanaians,’ he said.

Ofori was optimistic about a good outing against seven-time winners Egypt, saying that they would go all out for the v
ictory.

‘We need to focus on ourselves and think about what we can do to win the game, irrespective of the pedigree of the country we are playing,’ he said.

The Black Stars of Ghana would take on Egypt in Thursday’s crucial encounter at the Stade Félix-Houphouët-Boigny before taking on Mozambique in the last group match.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ghana defender Alexander Djiku says the team has to be more aggressive in their play as they seek their first win of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.

The Fenerbahçe player put up an outstanding performance despite Ghana’s 2-1 loss against the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde.

His aggressiveness and zeal during the match earned him the Man of the Match award, having also scored Ghana’s consolation with a brilliant second-half header.

Addressing the media after the disappointing loss, Djiku stated that the team had to be prolific upfront while players should exhibit some form of aggressiveness.

‘The game against Cape Verde was so difficult, but we need to do more, be more aggressive, create more chances, and score,’ Djiku said.

He noted that the game against seven-time winners Egypt wouldn’t be an easy task, but they would have to focus more and secure the needed win.

‘We have the second game, and we have to win. It is a tough game, but nothing is impossible. They drew their first game
, and we lost, so anything can happen,’ he said.

Ghana’s highly anticipated encounter against Egypt is slated for the Stade Félix-Houphouët-Boigny on Thursday, January 18, 2024.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Reigning Africa Champions Senegal sent a strong signal to the rest of the teams in the competition, with an emphatic 3-0 win over The Gambia in their opening match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

It was an early strike from Pape Gueye and a second half brace from Lamine Camara that ensured this total victory for the defending champions at Yamoussoukro’s Stade Charles Konan Banny.

The Gambians, who were quarter-finalists in the last edition were outclassed by the reigning champions, though they tried tried re-grouping and fighting their way back into the match, but were met by a resolute and disciplined Senegalese defence.

It became worse when Ebrima Adams was sent off for an early shower after a vicious tackle on the young Lamine Camara just before the break and this ensured two more goals in the second half.

Senegal would take on Cameroon in a mouth-watering tie on Friday, 19 January.

Senegal national team coach, Aliou Cisse expressed his satisfaction the output of his team sayin
g the team did well under the trying conditions of the heat and played well despite the challenges.

‘I am very satisfied with the performance of the players, especially since things were difficult given the climatic conditions and heat that we faced. We will continue to work hard on a few things that need to be rectified but overall, I am very happy with this victory’, said the coach.

On the young sensation, Lamine Camara who put up a TotalEnergies Man of the Match performance on his TotalEnergies CAF AFCON debut, Cisse boldly stated that it was his time to shine.

‘Lamine Camara is a young player, and his time has come. He scored two goals against Gambia and gave a distinguished performance on the field. The young player must be trusted and developed,’ he added.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Following the Black Star’s defeat on Sunday against Cape Verde in the 2023 African Cup of Nations tournament (AFCON), some concerned Ghanaians have advised the team to up their game in subsequent matches.

The Black Stars of Ghana suffered a 2-1 loss to Cape Verde in their first match of the tournament in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, at the group stage.

As a result, the team has landed itself at the bottom of Group B with no point, while Cape Verde has three points, topping the group with Egypt and Mozambique having a point each after their draw game.

Mr Alfred Ocran, a phone shop owner, told the Ghana News Agency that the outcome of the game was not what Ghanaians expected and that the team must make amends in their next match.

‘The players have to be aware that they have no choice than to get favorable results in their next match’ he said.

He added that the Black Stars ought to have a ‘win mentality’ as expected of them by the President and Ghanaians in general.

Mr Peter Manu, a Sports Analyst, urged the Bl
ack Stars to train harder and come stronger in their subsequent matches.

The Black Stars of Ghana would take on Egypt on Thursday before playing with Mozambique in the last match of the group stages.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Tom Saintfiet Head Coach of The Gambian national team, has said his side will seek to improve on their game, when they meet Guinea on Friday, in the second round of matches of Group C in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations.

The Scorpions of Gambians were walloped by Senegal in their opening match on Monday, and the Coach has admitted his team was poor in the match.

Speaking after the match, the coach apologized for the result and gave credit to the defending champions for a clinical display.

‘We are sorry for this result. We wanted our performance to be better than this. We tried everything we could to come back with the result.

‘After conceding early, Senegal was more effective and better organised, which was decisive in the match,’ said a dejected Saintfiet.

‘We did not create many chances in the match. The big problem in the first half is that we were unable to find our footing. We lost 3-0 and this is considered a major defeat, and losing a man also made things worse for us,’ he added.

Comme
nting on the team’s chances for the rest of the competition, the coach said: ‘We would prepare well and we would be ready for the Guinea match. I know that we would be ready. Things have become difficult for us now, especially after losing by three. We need 4 points to qualify, so there is still hope,’ he added.

Source: Ghana News Agency