Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz says two soft goals conceded just before half-time destroyed his team’s morale and turned the game against them.

Ghana were in total control at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, leading 2-0 through Ernest Nuamah’s penalty and Felix Afena-Gyan’s low drive, and looked set for a comfortable win.

But the Scorpions pulled one back from the spot and snatched an equaliser before the break, leaving the home side stunned.

“This was one of those days when everything went wrong for our team. Especially in the first half after we were leading 2-0. We conceded two goals very easily, and those two goals turned the story of the game around,” Queiroz said after the match.

According to him, “At the moment we should have gone for an easy result in the second half, those two goals in the first half killed the morale and made my players nervous. That was one of the reasons we were not able to perform well in the second half.”

The Portuguese trainer also defended his midfield choices and his decision not to start some of the new faces, insisting he has never been afraid to give opportunities to youngsters.

“Never in my life am I afraid to start a new player. Giving opportunities to players at 17, 18 years old has always been my benchmark,” he stressed.

Queiroz reserved special praise for substitutes Ibrahim Sulemana and Augustine Boakye, who lifted the team after coming on.

“I think Ibrahim came very well into the game, he had a good performance in the second half. He brought the team forward. Augustine brought the team forward as well,” he noted.

On Boakye, who earned his first Black Stars call-up under Queiroz for the World Cup, he added: “I called him for the first time to the national team for the World Cup. Everybody was surprised by that. Now you saw during the game, step by step, that he is a player who deserves to be here.”

He explained that with several players short of game time, including Kojo Oppong Peprah, Kwasi Sibo and Sulemana, he had to manage the squad carefully, especially after starting the game with only two fit centre-backs.

“We have the best players available to play this game. When some of our players are not on fresh legs, we have to make decisions to have solutions,” Queiroz said.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

There couldn’t have been a more challenging moment for Black Stars coach, Carlos Queiroz than the situation he faced ahead of the commencement of the 2027 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group C qualifiers.

Apart from opening the qualifying campaign with two high-profile encounters against The Elephants of La Cote d’Ivoire, and following up with The Gambia, Queiroz has been hit hard by several player withdrawals.

As of press time, seven top players of the team had announced their withdrawals with just about two days to the Bouake ‘clasico’ where the Ivorians engaged Ghana in a tough clash that reminded fans of their historic meeting in the finals of the 1992 edition of the championship that was decided after a marathon penalty shoot-out.

Queiroz was forced to make late changes to his side as Mohammed Kudus, Thomas Partey, Antoine Semenyo, Captain Jordan Ayew, Prince Adu Kwabena, Alidu Seidu indicated their unreadiness to serve.

This group of players can be considered as the spine of the team, and without them, the team is weak, timid, putting their ability to face the Elephants in their own habitat in doubt.

From the players, several excuses –mostly on injuries and fitness, have been given for the decision and they expect Ghanaians to just accept that and move forward.

Before the withdrawals, Atletic Bilbao’s Inaki Williams also announced his retirement from international football. Fact is, what he actually wanted to tell Ghanaians is that he would not play for the Black Stars again.

Others like Kevin Prince Boateng have walked on this path with the Black Stars before, turning his back on Ghana after enjoying his World Cup experience.

For the two, there would have been no World Cup experience without the opportunities presented by the Black Stars.

All of these are pointing to a particular trajectory which the Ghana Football Association (GFA) must be seen to be finding solutions to.

Clearly, it is showing a pattern where either players are becoming selective with the games they play or beginning to see the AFCON as an inferior championship.

Maybe what every Black Stars player must be reminded about is the fact that Ghana’s credentials at senior level were achieved through efforts at the AFCONs and not the World Cup which Ghana’s maiden qualification came in 2006.

At the AFCON, Ghana boasts of four trophies and considered heavyweights although recent history shows otherwise. For the World Cup, all the Black Stars have to show for is the quadrennial $100,000 appearance fee bonanza.

And if they don’t know, they must be told that those paydays don’t affect Ghana’s position on the FIFA rankings.

Maybe, the recent withdrawals should spark the conversation to let the Black Stars understand that just as they strive to make a name for themselves at the World Cup, fans back home equally demand same for the AFCON that presents a better chance for silverware than the World.

The FA must not entertain these excuses on the face value. They must verify some of the claims and excuses to ensure future withdrawals can be controlled. What is needed for the team to thrive is commitment and dedication at all platforms. Anything less will spell doom for the Black Stars.

By Andrew Nortey