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Silly mistakes cost us- Kudus
But for some individual mistakes, the Black Stars of Ghana would have walked away with three points on Thursday in their second Group B encounter against Egypt at the ongoing 2023 African Cup of Nations(AFCON) in Ivory Coast.
Egypt had to come back twice to share the spoils in a pulsating game which ended two all amidst a Mohammed Kudus’ masterclass.
It was also a massive improvement from the previous game which saw Ghana shockingky losing 2-1 to Cape Verde.
With that in mind, Ghana’s Starman, Kudus said in the post-match press conference that, it was possible the Black Stars would beat Mozambique in their final Group B encounter to qualify to the next stage of the competition.
Although Ghana could have avoided the situation where a lot of calculations would be required to decide their fate, it seems to be the only way out.
With 24 teams split into six groups of four with the top two in each – plus the four best third-placed sides – going through to the Round of 16, Ghana could qualify if they win against Mozambique on Monday.
Man of the Match, Kudus told the press, he would have loved his goals to give Ghana better results but only had a point, though they deserved more.
“The goals they scored were some silly mistakes from us which we should learn from as we put this game aside and focus on the next one,” he said.
Inaki Williams’ terrible back pass to Richard Ofori in the 69th minute was rather met by Omar Marmoush who equalised for Egypt after Kudus put Ghana in the lead in the 45th minute.
Kudus immediately restored the lead again in the 71st minute only for Inaki’s substitute, Osman Bukari to dribble into his box and give the ball away for another equaliser from Mostafa Mohamed in the 76th minute.
Kudus added that Egypt was a good side and the Black Stars showed some great enthusiasm and energy.
“Credit to all the boys, everyone gave their all and we need to do the same in the next game,” he stated.
For qualification to the next stage, Kudus said, it was very possible as they would finish the last game with the same focus and fighting spirit.
“We need to do more than that in the last game to get all the three points and see what would happen later,” he added.
The ultimate aim he said, was to win the trophy but would take things one step at a time.
“The focus is one game after the other and we would do well to bring the trophy home,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, some Ghanaian fans in Abidjan who were hoping to hit the streets to celebrate Ghana’s victory had to put their drinks back on ice following the disappointing 2-2 draw.
They would be waiting with bated breath for a win against Mozambique to enter into wild jubilations.
With support from MTN, over 150 Ghanaians are in Ivory Coast to support the Black Stars in all their group matches.
From Michael D Abayateye, Abidjan
The Ghana First Alliance, a movement, is today staging a protest in Accra against the renewal of the mining licence of Gold Fields, a mining company owned by a South African citizen operating in Ghana.
The demonstration, dubbed “Operation No Contract Renewal: South Africa Must Go,” is being held to demand that government does not renew the company’s licence.
The group says their protest is linked to recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa by a protest group known as “march to march.”
They claim that many Ghanaian-owned shops were looted, while others were attacked, with some cases leading to deaths.
They also say the situation forced the Ghana government to evacuate thousands of Ghanaians from South Africa back to Ghana.
Speaking to some of the protesters, they said they will move to several key locations in Accra, including the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Jubilee House, where they intend to present their petition.
The protesters are calling on government to terminate the Gold Fields contract and hand over the mining concessions to capable Ghanaians to manage.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
