The conventional wisdom is that Ghana’s world cup hopes for 2018 is as good as dead. The thinking within the Black Stars is that it is not and that it is very much alive.
Defeat in Alexandria to an Egypt side who didn’t need to impress to win has left Ghana trailing the North Africans by five points and Uganda by four. It also left Ghana coach Avram Grant asking himself just how it all happened after he claimed Ghana had been by far the best side.
“I don’t know what to say. It is one of the strangest games I have seen”, the well traveled Israeli said. “We dominated the game completely. We didn’t let them play and we controlled the game. Until they scored they didn’t get any chance and even the penalty was not a chance. Very strange for me. It was a one sided game and we lost the game.”
One sided description does not exactly do justice to the pattern of the game but the Black Stars were in control especially in the first half hour. The corner kick count, possession and passing was all in their favour. They also had the packed Borg Al Arab Stadium on edge until Harrison Afful gave away the penalty.
It leaves Grant’s side with a mountain to climb. With four games left, the Black Stars must overhaul a five point deficit. They are now chasing two rivals who have proved adept at handling them in Uganda and Egypt but Grant refuses to give up just yet.
He said: “We showed today that we have a good team so we will work hard. We will fight to the end. Anything is possible in football and there are twelve games to go so we will not give up. You saw the players fought a lot today. We will continue to fight till the last moment.”
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