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Kwasi Appiah — Coach of Black Stars B
Kwasi Appiah — Coach of Black Stars B

‘No chance for Burkina Faso on Sunday’

Accra Hearts of Oak midfielder, Thomas Abbey, believes the Black Stars B team is mentally, physically and spiritually ready to settle the scores with their Burkinabe counterparts in the second leg of their 2018 Championship of African Nations (CHAN) qualifier to be staged at the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday.

Abbey noted that the Ghanaian side had learnt some useful lessons from the mistakes they committed in the first leg in Ouagadougou which ended in a 2-2 stalemate last Saturday and were in no mood to allow the Burkinabe to cause an upset in Kumasi. For the gifted Star, missing the CHAN would prove very costly to the players’ development.

"We are not only hoping to win but we are sure to qualify for the CHAN. After playing against them last Saturday, we now know their strengths and weaknesses so we will overpower them at all cost," the confident Abbey told the Graphic Sports in a telephone interview yesterday.

"Coach Maxwell Konadu has been talking to us since we returned from Ouagadougou and he has challenged us to psyche ourselves up for a win, so I can say that we are ready to face them," added the forward who featured for Kwasi Appiah’s side at full length last Saturday.

Abbey, who is currently a joint leading scorer in the Premier League with 12 goals, hinted that he was looking forward to rewarding himself with a goal on Sunday as a birthday present as he observes his 24th birthday today.

Today is my birthday and usually I score a goal in the week of my birth month when we are playing a game so I may score on Sunday to celebrate my birthday".

The Black Stars B surrendered a two-goal lead in the 2-2 draw in Ouagadougou, opening the scoring in the 24th minute through striker Sadick Adams from the penalty spot following a foul on Abbey.

Winful Cobbinah split open the Burkinabe defence to allow WAFA’s Gideon Waja to restore the lead for Ghana in the 65th minute.

However, the Ghanaians could not maintain the lead after Sylla Mohammed and substitute Illiase Sawadogo equalised for the Burkinabe who came back stronger in the second half.

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