Ghana in battle of survival
The Black Stars of Ghana find themselves at a crossroads, facing a make-or-break battle against Mozambique in a Group B battle tonight at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium (Stade Ebimpé Olympic) in Abidjan. A victory is vital to ward off a haunting déjà vu of a second successive group-stage exit at the Africa Cup of Nations.
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Haunted by the spectre of their abysmal performance at the 2021 AFCON campaign, where they were winless in three matches and finished at the bottom of their group, Ghana now stands on the precipice after managing just one point from their initial two matches.
A 1-2 defeat to Cape Verde in the opening group fixture and a 2-2 draw against Egypt last Thursday, despite holding the lead on two occasions, have left them teetering on the edge, with Mozambique emerging as the last hurdle in their quest for redemption.
Securing a win would propel them to four points, a potentially qualifying position as one of the four best third-placed teams. The 2021 edition witnessed two teams advancing with a mere three points, providing a glimmer of hope for the Black Stars.
While the FIFA rankings favour Ghana (61st) over Mozambique (111th), history issues a cautionary tale. In 2021, needing just a point to advance against Comoros, Ghana shockingly succumbed to a 3-2 defeat, spelling an early exit.
The stakes rise even higher with a looming threat of a first-ever defeat to Mozambique (having secured six wins and two draws in their previous encounters), with Ghana's six-match winless streak at the AFCON -- the Black Stars have won just one out of the last nine matches at the AFCON and are without a win since defeating Guinea-Bissau at the 2019 tournament in Egypt -- remain a source of worry.
Ghana coach, Chris Hughton, remains resolute, dismissing the notion of "small teams" in Africa and expressing unwavering confidence in his team's ability to secure victory. "There are no more small teams in Africa. We are preparing for a tough match against them. The calculations are already made; we need a victory to pursue our dream, and I know we are capable of it," he said.
At the pre-match press briefing yesterday, the Ghana coach emphasised that his players were conscious of the importance of the clash and were psyched up for the challenge ahead.
"We are aware of the magnitude of this game. This is a game we have to win. All we can do is prepare and make sure we put in a certain level of performance that will allow us to win the game.
“The players know what it will take to get a result. There are no easy games in this tournament. “We have to be physically and mentally prepared for this," Coach Hughton said.
Acknowledging the imperative need to address defensive lapses that have cost the team three goals, Hughton and key players, including forward Antoine Semenyo and defender Mohammed Salisu, stress the significance of minimising individual errors and sustaining full focus throughout the crucial match.
After his standout performance against Egypt, Ghana will look up to two-goal hero, Mohammed Kudus, for another inspirational performance against Mozambique and he is expected to start alongside Semenyo.
In a team suffering goal drought, his coach acknowledges Kudus' importance in the overall team success.
"Mohammed Kudus is a player who is in good form at the moment. It's about scoring goals wherever it comes from. What we want is to create a lot of opportunities for the whole team," Coach Hughton said.
There were indications from Ghana's medical team yesterday that attacking midfielder Majeed Ashimeru, who was withdrawn in the second half against Egypt over injury concerns, could be back in action to bolster the team's engine room. Also, Joseph Paintsil could also start on the right side of attack ahead of Inaki Williams who struggled against Egypt.
Mozambique coach, Chiquinho Conde, said yesterday that his side were not overawed by Ghana's status and were prepared for a tough battle in a bid to secure a rare victory and a passage to the second round of the tournament. He indicated that the Mambas would seek to exploit weaknesses in the Ghanaian team to get the needed result, having held Egypt 2-2 and lost 0-3 to Cape Verde.
"Our observers and technical staff have already identified strengths and weaknesses in the Ghana team. We know their strength is in their individual performances. [Jordan] Ayew and [Inaki] Williams have experience, but they have weaknesses we can exploit to win.
"We will play at 200 per cent to win this match. We know Ghana hasn’t won a match and understandably are somehow frustrated and don’t have peace of mind even though they have some quality. They play with the motivation of the fans also. We will try to provoke them and approach the match as a final," Coach Domingues told the media.
For Mozambique, hopefuls Lau King and Elias Pelembe Domingues seek starting positions after leaving an impression in their second-half appearances during the 0-3 loss to Cape Verde. The team's recent formation shift, featuring star player, Atletico Madrid's Reinildo Mandava, in a back three, may persist.
If Ghana can create more scoring opportunities and be clinical in front of their opponent’s goal area, tighten the defence and avoid individual errors, the Black Stars may just clinch a win in what promises to be a nervous encounter against the Mambas and keep their AFCON dreams alive.
