Coach Charles Kwablan Akonnor impressed with Black Stars performance against Morocco
Black Stars coach, Charles Kwabla Akonnor, has praised his team’s performance against Morocco despite losing by a lone goal to the Atlas Lions in an international friendly in Rabat on Tuesday.
Coach Akonnor believed his side played collectively last Tuesday and expected the team to repeat same against the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in a similar friendly in Cape Coast on Saturday.
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Goalkeeper Razak Abalora’s howler in the 68th minute gifted the hosts a narrow victory in Rabat. However, the Ghanaians are expected to make amends when they welcome Cote d’Ivoire to Cape Coast.
“The team played well and I am very happy about our performance today,” said Coach Akonnor after the match.
“I’m, however, not happy about our loss because we deserved something from the match.
“But this is football and things like these sometimes happen. So most importantly, I have to praise the team for their performance against one of the best teams on the continent,” he added.
The Black Stars played without influential players such as Thomas Partey and Mubarak Wakaso, but Coach Akonnor expects a full house in the Cote d’Ivoire encounter.
When asked what the return of these big names meant to his team on Saturday, Coach Akonnor explained that the duo’s arrival would help stabilise the side.
He explained that having all the experienced players in the team would provide him the opportunity to prepare well towards the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) early next year.
“With the way they played against Morocco, I expect the same momentum when two of our experienced players return ahead of the Cote d’Ivoire match.
“Thomas Partey and Mubarak Wakaso, together with Andre and Jordan, bring a lot to the team and seeing them play together help us a lot,” Coach Akonnor noted.