Ghana midfeilder Kwasi Sibo said Carlos Queiroz urged Ghana to do more to maintain 0-0 or we score them at half-time against England, revealing the coach didn’t even ask us to come in the second half for a draw as the Black Stars earned a vital World Cup point.
The Real Oviedo player put up an outstanding display against the Three Lions to help his team keep a clean sheet – marinating an unbeaten record in the two matches.
Kwasi Sibo spoke to ghanafa.org after the match.
Read on for the full transcript:
On playing against England
Yeah, always grateful always thankful to God for the opportunity to play and whenever I do play I’ll give everything I can. Um, but yeah, a big blessing for sure.
On the penalty call
To be honest, I wasn’t that close to the action, so I can’t say what I didn’t see. I think we did our best to get a possible result that we were hoping for. It’s just the plan of the coach, and we did follow the plan. Yeah, as a footballer, you know, there are ups and downs. And I feel like this moment is a moment that I have to enjoy. I have to keep fighting for my nation and just hope for the best.
On starting against England after being on the bench against Panama
Um, everyone in the team, um, have the qualities to represent the nation. You know, I’m a player that always plays for the team. I’m not an individual player, so I always support my teammate. Who will be on the field to to make the nation proud. So, every player that will be on the field is um, good to play for the nation. So, I always support the team and I always do my best to always be available for the team and for the coach.
On playing alongside Thomas Partey
A lot because he is a great person and also, he has an experience playing in the top leagues. So, every time training with him at the training grounds, we learn a lot from him, especially me as a midfielder, always playing close beside him. So we learn a lot. And today, when we saw him starting the game, we were all happy and we were all with him to let him stay focused and help the team, because he is our main man, and we will always be with him.
On team plan
He told us to be compact. He told us to fight for each other. And he told us that, at this moment, he knows that we will suffer because we are playing against a great team. But still, we should keep our mentality tough, fight from the first minute to 90 minutes. And I think we listened to him and we followed his instructions and we did the job for him.
On going to half time goalless
When we went to the dressing room, he was proud of the first half, going to the dressing room 0-0. So, he motivated us more. The left 45 minutes we have to do more to maintain 0-0 or we score them. So, he didn’t even ask us to come in the second half for a draw. He told us to go and win the game because he felt like nervous now. How they come pressing now and he believed that we can do it. What we have done on the first half he’s part of us. So I think such ways even motivate us more to keep fighting on the second half.
On Croatia
Now, the game against Croatia, I don’t think. I just believe that we’re going to have three points, all the three points from them, because we want to be leaders in the group. And we are not looking back. Playing against England today, now we defend a lot. I feel like we have, today we got one chance that I feel like maybe can enter the pool for three points. So going against Croatia is. All in all, for the nation.
On sharing the pitch with Bellingham
Just at the end of the match, we saw you head to Jude Bellingham for his jersey. What does that mean for you and what was it like sharing a pitch with him?
It means a lot because I think he’s a great guy and a great footballer. And also, we play in the same league in Spain, La Liga. So, in the game, sometimes we have a little chat in Spanish. And I told him, he said, after the game, we are staying in JC. And I wish him good luck. And I was happy for him winning the man of the match, you know. So, yeah, I wish him good luck.
