Stand-in Black Stars captain Gideon Mensah has attributed Ghana’s woeful 2-4 defeat to The Gambia in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier to a combination of bad luck and an underwhelming performance.
The 28-year-old left-back accepted responsibility for the disappointing result and expressed confidence that the Black Stars would recover stronger from the setback.
“We have to accept that luck wasn’t on our side and we probably didn’t perform as we were supposed to perform. As a captain today, I feel like I will also take responsibility for everything that happened today,” Mensah said after the match.
Mensah suggested that the presence of several newcomers in the squad may have contributed to the team’s lacklustre showing, although he insisted the players went into the game determined to secure victory.
“First of all, we had so many players who are first-timers in the team. Me, for example, I have been here for a while now. I did what I was supposed to do, to support the boys, to help myself, to help the nation win the game.
“But we can’t hide from the fact that we had so many newcomers in the team,” he added.
The FC Köln defender, who has earned 44 caps for Ghana, captained the side in the absence of regular skipper Benjamin Asare and featured in both of Ghana’s AFCON qualifiers during the international break.
Mensah also conceded a penalty which The Gambia converted to open the scoring, as the Black Stars suffered a heavy defeat at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The result piles pressure on coach Carlos Queiroz and his players to improve their performances in the remaining qualifiers, with Mensah insisting that the team must learn from the setback and regroup for the challenges ahead.
