The Black Galaxies of Ghana got off to a poor start in their CHAN 2022 campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Madagascar.
Goals from Koloina Razafidranaivo and Olivier Tonkinantenaiana were enough to secure all three points for Madagascar despite a goal from Augustine Agyapong.
For Ghana however, they will be desperate to win their next game. Here are five things we learned.
Ghana might not go far in competition
When the Black Galaxies secured qualification to the tournament after beating Nigeria on penalties, he hopes of Ghanaians rose and it is no surprise.
The last time the team participated in the competition was in 2014 which they managed to go all the way into the final where they lost to Lybia.
But this time, they look like a team outmatched. They played poorly overall and deserved the defeat.
Gladson Awako out of sorts
Gladson Awako was elected captain of the side going into the competition. The midfielder has displayed great creativity in the past for Olympics and Hearts of Oak.
He also has demonstrated his ability to score in key games, a trait he showed for Annor Walker’s side during the qualifiers.
But in the main event, he was mostly missing. Little spark. No surprise he was taken off early in the second half.
Danlad Ibrahim the light in the darkness
Danlad Ibrahim, despite conceding early in the game against Madagascar was excellent overall.
The Asante Kotoko shot stopper made some key saves for the team whilst showing great distribution.
If the Black Galaxies exit the competition early, Danlad would still be adored in the eyes of Ghanaians for his good showing.
Annor Walker disappointing in first real test
Many Ghanaians were confident in Annor Walker’s leadership going into the tournament and for good reason.
The Samartex manager is arguably one of the best local coaches Ghana has to offer, leading Great Olympics through a successful period last season.
He was expected to make light work of Madagascar but that wasn’t to be. He has to step up in the next game.
Augustine Agyapong set to make a mark
Augustine Agyapong, despite the defeat to Madagascar, made a good statement individually, scoring a screamer to bring Ghana back into the game.
He has made a good case for a starting spot in the next games and also could be the one to make a difference for the team in the next game.
He would be licking his lips against Sudan.
