Basake Holy Stars coach Gazale blames heavy defeat to Accra Lions on players’ overeating before the match

Basake Holy Stars head coach Abdulai Gazale has attributed his team’s 2-1 defeat to Accra Lions to poor dietary management, claiming his players appeared sluggish and heavy on the pitch.

The Anyinase-based side took an early lead at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday in their Ghana Premier League matchday 27 clash, with Prince Tweneboah converting a first-half penalty. However, second-half goals from Musa Hamzata and Lucky Nwafor turned the tide in favour of Accra Lions, who walked away with all three points.

Speaking after the match, Gazale pointed to excessive food intake and a lack of exercise in the build-up to the game as key reasons for his side’s underwhelming performance.

“In fact, I’m beginning to suspect something. We arrived early Saturday morning, and the players had eaten three times without exercising. That’s a major concern for me,” Gazale explained.

“We trained on Thursday morning, then had meals Thursday afternoon, Thursday evening, Friday morning, Friday afternoon, Friday evening, Saturday morning, and again in the afternoon before the match — that’s about seven square meals,” he said. “I believe that made the players heavy on the pitch, and it’s something I need to seriously address.”

Following the loss, Basake Holy Stars now sit 12th on the league table, just four points above the relegation zone, as they seek to avoid a late-season battle for survival.