Former Vice-President of the Ghana Football Association, George Afriyie, has criticized the current administration for a “lack of proper planning” after Ghana’s 2-0 loss to Sudan in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
According to Afriyie, the Black Stars’ defeat was largely due to the players’ discomfort playing on the AstroTurf at the Benina Martyrs Stadium in Libya.
In a crucial encounter, Sudan’s victory propelled them to second place in Group F with seven points, leaving them needing just a draw to secure a spot in the AFCON. Ghana, on the other hand, now sits in third place with only two points, risking their first AFCON absence in 20 years.
“Lack of proper planning caused the defeat in the game against Sudan,” Afriyie said in an interview with JoySports. “After the match in Ghana, we should have immediately travelled to Benghazi and done our recovery on an AstroTurf field for the remaining days.”
He highlighted the players’ struggles on the artificial pitch: “The two goals we conceded were because our defenders were uncomfortable on the AstroTurf, which affected their play.”
Defenders Alidu Seidu and Mohammed Salisu were at fault for losing possession, leading to Sudan’s two goals, scored by Ahmed Hamed Mahmoud and Mohamed Abdelrahman early in the second half.
Ghana must now win their final two qualifiers against Angola and Niger in November and hope Sudan falters in order to stand a chance of qualifying for the 2025 AFCON.
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