Former Black Meteors midfielder, Yaw Acheampong, has offered valuable advice to the current Black Meteors squad as they prepare for their crucial group stage match against Guinea on Friday.
Acheampong emphasized the importance of not succumbing to the mounting pressure they are facing, which could adversely affect their performance.
The Black Meteors find themselves in a precarious position, facing the possibility of elimination from the U-23 AFCON and a potential exclusion from the Paris 2024 Olympic games if they fail to secure a victory in their upcoming match against Guinea.
Ghana’s Olympic football participation has been limited, with their most recent appearance dating back to the 2004 games in Athens.
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Drawing from his experience as a bronze medalist with the Black Meteors at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic games, Acheampong shared his insights during an interview with Max FM.
He urged the U-23 players to stay resilient and not let themselves be affected by the increasing pressure from the Ghanaian public.
Reflecting on the team’s 5-1 defeat to Morocco in their second group game, Acheampong likened it to their own 6-1 loss to Germany in 1993, describing it as one of those unfortunate days where everything goes against the team.
“The 5-1 defeat to Morocco in our second group game reminded me of our 6-1 loss to Germany in 1993 during my playing days. It was one of those days where nothing goes well for the entire team,” Yaw Acheampong said.
Despite this setback, Acheampong emphasized the importance of approaching the must-win game against Guinea with composure and not allowing the pressure to negatively impact their performance.
“We shouldn’t let the pressure of the game affect us negatively going into the game, we must be calm.”
Ghana’s primary objective will be to secure qualification to the next round of the competition, which would provide them with an opportunity to compete at the 2024 Olympic games in Paris. The Black Meteors kicked off their campaign with a 3-2 victory over Congo but suffered a demoralizing 5-1 defeat against the host nation, Morocco, in their second game.
