Black Stars B fail to qualify for CHAN 2018 -It would be implausible to say the team went unprepared…
Home-based players of Ghana’s Black Stars exuded full alertness prior to the game at the Baba Yara Sports stadium having held the Burkinabes to a 2-2 draw in Ouagadougou last week.
The Sunday clash was indeed crucial for the team as they hoped to qualify the country for the 2018 tournament.
Read: Why Former Black Stars Coach Avram Grant Turned Down Offer From Bulgarian Side Levski Sofia
However, Burkina Faso pulled off a 2-1 win over Ghana to qualify for the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Kenya. This means that Ghana will miss the 2018 Africa Nations Championships -a shock indeed to the team. and the rest of Ghana.
Black Stars B Fail to Qualify for CHAN 2018: How It Happened
The Black Stars had wasted several scoring opportunities, which enabled the Burkinabes man the lead. Despite playing away from home, Burkina Faso exhibited so much confidence on the pitch as they opened the scoring.
Burkina Faso’s Sylla Mohammed (in the eighth minute) and Nikiema Herman (on the half hour) scored twice for the team in the first half, leaving frustrated Ghana in a long a futile hustle.
Giving Ghana a sense of hope, substitute Felix Addo, who came on to replace Saddick Adams, in the second half grabbed a consolation for the Black Stars B in the 64thminute.
However, the Ghanaian team missed several opportunities in the second half. Patrick Razak, Isaac Twum and Thomas Abbey who would have changed the defeat story in the last 25 minutes, all missed glaring goal scoring opportunities, leading Ghana out of the tournament for home-based footballers.
The stallion’s victory, combined with their 2-2 draw in the first leg of the qualifier to Ghana in Ouagadougou last weekend means the aggregate score ended 4-3 in their favour.
Black Stars B fail to Qualify for CHAN 2018: Should Coach Appiah be Blamed?
To say the team was unprepared would be unfounded. New Black Stars Coach Kwesi Appiah elected thirty home-based players into the Black Stars ‘B’ team.
The team went on an intensive training and camping program at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence earlier this year.
Bearing in mind government’s promise of a $3000 reward for each player should they qualify for the CHAN tournament, the players exuded so much dedication and determination to proceed to the next level.
More so, Coach Kwesi Appiah left no stone unturned as he sought to seal the qualification.
Ghana failed to qualify for the 2016 CHAN which was hosted by Rwanda.
This had attracted lots of criticisms against the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Youth and Sports Ministry who pledged to do everything possible to ensure that team qualifies this time around.
The disqualification is also said to be Ghana’s first defeat on home soil since 2000 and is sure to raise doubts about boss Kwesi Appiah. Nigeria qualified for the tournament, after a 2-1 aggregate win over Benin.
