Badou Zaki, head coach of the Niger national team, has raised concerns about the Black Stars’ recent performances, describing a noticeable decline in their once formidable stature.
Speaking to Ghanasportspage.com, Zaki highlighted the disparity between the current Ghanaian squad and the teams of the past, reflecting on their recent struggles.
“The Black Stars is big and known as the Brazilians of Africa because the team is very heavy when you check the players. You have Seidu, Lamptey, Partey and many players who perform in the major leagues in Europe but I think something is happening. You don’t feel like the Black Stars we know before,” Zaki said.
He pointed out that Ghana’s performance in the recent AFCON tournament held in Abidjan fell short of expectations. Despite having a roster of high-caliber players, the team’s results have been underwhelming. “We saw Ghana at the AFCON in Abidjan but it wasn’t good. They have big players, big team and players with good performance.
The Moroccan coach also drew comparisons with Ghana’s impressive 2010 World Cup campaign, where they nearly reached the semi-finals.
“We watched Ghana at the World Cup 2010 and they almost qualified for the semi-finals. There is mass different between that team and the current team. They are not strong in attack and defence.
Zaki expressed particular concern over the team’s defensive frailties. “They concede many goals. They conceded three goals against Central African Republic at home which is not normal. They concede goals every time,” said the Moroccan trainer.
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