Ghana Struggles Continue: Black Stars Draw with Niger in AFCON 2025 Qualifier

coach OT there bit disappointed you can say in his countenance where I know that sometimes they say when Ghana go down like that a little bit of football fans in Nigeria have the smile on your faces but let's bring in a ghanian journalist over here we've got Laurence um Buu joining us on the show today thank you so much Lawrence for joining us on the show thank you very much it's always a pleasure to join you a pleasure to have you on the show now this is interesting times for um the likes of football fans around the world they're becoming a little bit more emotional and we could see that at the bayara stadium when Ghana face up with Angola tell us what is the feel in the air even after that backlash that reaction coming from the fans this is after the draw against theu of course I mean the hav been too good um especially if you look at the very defeat the very defea against angula in Kumasi for about 24 years the black stars had not lost in Kumi sport was quite disappointing and I understand the perspective of the fans because this is a team that had been regrouped that had coming in for a second St he comes in they play two friendes in Mar play two I mean competitive games in in the World Cup qualifers against Mali and the Central African Republic where they pick up vital WIS putting their World Cup um I mean qualification campaign on a good track all only to suffer defeat to Angola I mean it was actually the third time that Ghana was facing Angola in the space of 12 months or less than two years so it was a bit of a worry Ghana had just lost one um I mean they had all lost any they had dra one and then won the other so the expectation was that yes it was going to be difficult but then Ghana was going to manage to get a positive result out of that unfortunately um it was a let go from melson that broke the heart of ghans which which was quite I mean quite depressing to watch it triggered the fans who B onto the stadium I mean throwing um objects artificials trying to damage things at the stadium it was it was unpleasant SC for for Ghan I mean it's quite understandable but you don't expect such reactions however they were looking for a good um a good reaction to in the game against n if there is anything they were looking forward to it it was the fact that they were looking to see the black stars dominate on the neutral ground because the complaints were that the bab sport Stadium wasn't too fit to host that game against Angola so they get a better pitch and expectation is that the team is going to jail better unfortunately again um unfortunately I would say they take the lead in the second half the team doesn't play too well but then they get the lead they seem to be holding on to it and then 10 minutes away from from full time the team seems to to be I mean defending poorly giving away so many balls it wasn't too good and N had to counter on that and then ensure that they geter which again means that Ghana has just one point from six points available that is just no good that's not a standard of the ghed we can see that we can see that and also feel the reaction from coach Oto Ado but um on social media we hear that a lot of fans are saying that um the players do well fantastically well at their you know their Club side they come with beautiful goals Smo would always come up tops and in club side but when they come to the national team they do not you know uh bring in that same form from their clubs uh do you think this any measur should be taken concerning this and what incentive should the Ghana Football Association you know give the players to motivate them ahead of big games like this I mean you would you would want to agree with me that when it comes to National Team assignments or International games players do not get enough time to play together as who should be blamed for that who should be blamed for that whatever International windows open is open to every single African national team and an European team too we should be blamed and I'm saying I mean as as as far as preparations is concerned you play Ukraine with your M for four to three um 3 to four days or five days before you play at the club side but when it com to the national team you have just about two training sessions at Max three before you you you go to a match G so they are not able to jail nonetheless that is not an excuse I expect the team to be doing better considering what they've been doing for their Club size um you want to make a case that this is a new team they've not played among themselves for quite um a long time because this is OT second s with the national team he started developing a pool around this number of players since March so it's it's not enough for them to J together but if you look at their performances for their Cloud side you expect them to show some glimpes you can talk about the nature of the pitch you can talk about the fact that some of the players are being played out of position but you also them to put a performance that is worthy of being about to kill themselves to everyone to put it that sacrifice their time and then ensure that they deliver the results of the national team okay okay Lawrence yeah Lawrence honestly I I hear you there but I I think I need to ask and we probably need to put Oto Ado on the spot like you said this is his second stint and at this point in time I think it's quite evident that he finds it difficult to bring out the best in this team I mean you've got stars like Mohamed kudus you've got seenu who play straight for Bournemouth you've got inaki Williams who plays for athletic bbar as well they've been questioned Also regarding the center back partnership definitely Mustafa salisu is the standing man but who should always be his partner there also questions regarding taram maybe he's not accustomed to um you know the brute nature of African so in your own opinion do you think OT um is bringing out the best in these players I think to say he's bringing out the best at the moment H will be an overstatement he not close to doing that in terms of the resources available to him with the exception of I think but for injuries we would have Alexander part mhamed that has been his trusted Center backing in terms of left back he didn't have any of available so he also had to improvise with Al coming in Ali is not your natural left back he's he's at best a right back who has been I mean played at different positions OT knows he still needs to get some things done but if you look at the matches the team played in June where they fac Mal and then Central African Republic you could see signs of what he wants in his team you could see Tel party building among the squad and then you come to September where you are expecting some players to be available and then in them out some arrive to come Le so it's it kind of tempers your preparations for T game but I won I I mean I won't back him I won't give that as an excuse you expect him to be better and considering the kind of job he taking in the past okay um I'm a bit surprised this is um performance coming after that protest that white protest by sport journalists in Ghana saying hash save Ghana Football I I think the Ghan players the black stars have got a very you know very strong mind concerning what the fans feel or even what sport journalists feel to give this kind of performance even after that protest but we'll keep a t on this situation of course there will be another chance for GH to come in maybe two games at this time one point G out already let's see if they can make du and put um a smile on the faces of um ghanan football lovers thank you so much Lawrence Vu for joining us on in the game today all right thank you very much [Music]