Despite Ghana’s recent poor performances, former Chelsea left-back Ryan Bertrand believes that the Black Stars will be prepared for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Ghana recently lost two friendlies to Mexico and the United States, conceding six goals and failing to score. These results have led to criticism from fans, who are concerned about the team’s form with less than two months to go until AFCON.
Bertrand, who is visiting Ghana for the first time, expressed his confidence in coach Chris Hughton’s ability to get the team ready before the tournament in January.
“Yeah, I think first of all football, international or domestic tournament football, anything can happen. So there’s some stage you are not in the best form and end up doing well. Sometimes you can be in great form and end up underachieving. I think the last two tests in USA and Mexico were good tests because they’re different, you know, different styles of football and different opposition. So I think they’re in great hands with Chris Hughton. I’m pretty sure by the time the tournament comes, they’ll be ready,” Bertrand stated in an exclusive interview with 3Sports.
He drew comparisons between the rebuilding of teams in England and Ghana and advised Ghanaians to be patient with the process.
“I think if you look at England, they had their kind of transition where they identified lots of amazing young talents and chose to build pathways in international football for their talents. And now they’re really competing on the big stage, having been in finals and semi-finals quite consistently. There’s [Mohammed] Kudus and Ernest [Nuamah] and there’s a lot more talent coming through.”
“Even AFCON and beyond it’ll be a process so it’ll be a change, so it’s important to bear with that. It’s not always easy being a fan because you want to win all the time. But I think identifying that the national team is in a transition, so as long as you can see small steps going forward, I think you should take pride in that because it’s a longer project. And like I said, the manager is well versed in nurturing youths for sure.”
Ghana is in AFCON Group B with record winners Egypt, Cape Verde, and Mozambique. Bertrand’s visit to Ghana is part of his partnership with Koppan Sports Agency to contribute to the country’s football development.
