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Ghana’s 1-2 loss to Cape Verde in the opening 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) match was ascribed to the team’s inexperience, according to Black Stars forward Jordan Ayew in an open post-match interview.
Speaking following the game in Cote D’Ivoire, Ayew emphasized the effect of inexperience on the team’s performance while also acknowledging the squad’s youth.
Despite drawing level with a goal from Alexander Djiku, who connected with Ayew’s cross in the 56th minute, Ghana was unable to secure a victory after Jamiro Monteiro’s 17th-minute opener for Cape Verde.
Chris Hughton, the head coach of the Black Stars, told the media that his players were “rocked” by the team’s early goal surrender.
The winning goal for Cape Verde was secured by Garry Rodrigues in the 92nd minute due to a defensive lapse.
In his post-match reflection, Ayew acknowledged the learning curve the team has because so many players are playing in their first AFCON.
He highlighted the necessity of swift adaptation by saying, “We lack a lot of experience… at the end of the day if you look at the squad that we have, more than 10 (players), this is their first AFCON so this type of mistakes will happen, and we need to learn and we need to learn quick because the AFCON is not waiting for anyone…we need to stand up and face the reality.”
Looking ahead, Ghana will play Egypt in a pivotal match on Thursday, January 18.
Egypt presents another difficult test for the Black Stars, who are eager to recover and leave their mark in the AFCON 2023 competition after drawing 2-2 with Mozambique.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
