Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah bemoans missed chances in Namibia defeat
10th June 2019
Head Coach of the Black Stars Kwesi Appiah has lamented his team’s failure to take their chances after the 1-0 defeat to Namibia in the pre-AFCON warm up on Sunday.
Black Stars fans betting online are tipping the country to win the title but their performance against the Southern Africans seems to have dampened spirits ahead of the tournament.
Manfred Starke’s solitary strike in the first half was enough to separate the sides at the Jaber Ali training facility in Dubai
Thomas Partey failed to score with a header from point blank range in the second half while Mubarak Wakaso missed a penalty to salvage a draw.
Speaking in an interview after the match, Coach Kwesi Appiah admitted his side lacked the killer instinct in front of goal but was confident that can be corrected before the continental showpiece starts.
"Namibia had one chance and scored, unfortunately we created many chances but failed to score but we are looking at the essence of the game”
"We looking at the shape of the team so we can see where they are lapses and loopholes that can be corrected before we go to Egypt."
The Black Stars played South Africa in their final warm up game on June 14 which ended in a goalless draw before the team undertakes it final training sessions ahead of their departure to Egypt for the tournament which starts on Friday.
Ghana have played two friendlies during their stay in their training camp in the United Arab Emirates, most recently Saturday evening’s match against the Bafana Bafana at the Dubai Police Officers Club Stadium.
The Black Stars, four-time continental champions, who last lifted the title in 1982, have spent the two weeks in the UAE as they look to halt a 37-year wait when the tournament kicks off in Egypt next week.
Despite being stripped of the captaincy, Asamoah Gyan, Ghana's all-time leading goalscorer, remains the Black Stars most dangerous player ahead of the start of the continent's top-flight competition
The attacker who formerly played in the UAE says the team are good to go for the upcoming 2019 Africa Cup of Nations following an intensive training camp in Dubai this month.
“We are ready,” the former Al Ain frontman told reporters after Saturday’s draw. “We’ve been working so hard in the past 10 days – the weather is also not helping – but we are still fighting. We are pushing harder and harder.
“We have done well. Training has not been easy: we have gone through some drills behind the scenes that the camera didn’t capture, so we know the kind of training we have done.
“The tournament itself is a different ball-game altogether, but we are happy there is no injury in the camp. We will be going to Egypt with all the players ready for the tournament.”
Ghana have been drawn in Group F at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) alongside Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau.
They begin their latest quest for a fifth crown on June 25 against Benin in Ismailia.