The West African giants flexed their muscles as they beat Madagascar 3-0 in the first game of the AFCON 2023 qualifiers at the Cape Coast sports stadium on Wednesday night.
Mohammed Kudus, Felix Afena Gyan and Osman Bukari scored after the interval to ensure the Black Stars picked all maximum points and hand manager Otto Addo his first win at the helm of the Black Stars.
Below are six things we learned from the game.
Otto Addo’s style is slowly taking shape
It would be fair to say that Otto Addo will not have been all that impressed with what he saw from his boys on Wednesday, especially in the first half. A lot of sideways and backwards passes, very little movement in attacking zones, a complete crisis of confidence and aversion to attempting anything remotely risky.
Completely altering the approach a national team employs takes a lot of time. Keen to reimagine the outlook of the Black Stars team, a substantial handful of patience is required. Three matches into Addo’s reign, the side have won one and drawn two - but the signs are there that the players are gradually coming to terms with his philosophy and tactics.
While one can't avoid the lack of quality throughout the team, embedding the philosophy into the players will at least put them on the right track. Players such as Denis Odoi and Baba Iddrisu were clearly onboard with the progressive, back-to-front style and look well-placed to improve gradually with this brand of football.
Some of the old habits still remain - diagonal crosses for Afena Gyan to run on to too often - but as steady as the progress is, it remains progress nonetheless.
Denis Odoi continues to impress
Eyebrows were raised when Otto Addo invited the 33-year-old for the double-header against Nigeria during the 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff but the gaffer paid no heed to those against the decision to invite the former Fulham man, instead chose to give him an opportunity to impress, and the versatile Odoi has not yet let his manager down since.
Against Madagascar on Wednesday night, he was solid again, demonstrating his intelligence, defending instinct and reading of the game. Sentiment only gets you far in football, but Odoi is in the Black Stars team on merit- and was one of the key performers for the Black Stars once again.
Daniel Amartey embodies Black Stars’ strength in depth
He may not have had too much looks in the game against Madagascar but Daniel Amartey provided a remainder that he is real weapon in Addo’s armoury. An energetic presence throughout, the Leicester City man shielded the ball with aplomb and showcased the desire to carry the ball forward when he did win it back.
His agility and passing range caught the eyes on the break and allowed Jordan Ayew and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku to work their way into one-on-one situations with the opponents’ defence. It’s that depth that will give Ghana the best chance of winning the group.
Afena Gyan scores first international goal
Ghana’s rising star Felix Afena Gyan announced himself on the international stage after scoring his maiden goal against Madagascar.
In just his third appearance for the Black Stars, the AS Roma forward scored his first Ghana goal after latching onto a pass from Gideon Mensah to score Ghana’s second on the night.
Gyan was a central figure for the hosts, even though he was not necessarily his side’s standout performer.
Gideon Mensah thrives at centre-back
It was an understated but excellent performance from Gideon Mensah- so, in that sense, a typical day’s work for the defender.
Goalscorers Kudus, Gyan and Bukari took most of the plaudits after the game, but Mensah was equally as good in a more unfashionable role.
A left- back by trade, he was assigned a role at centre-back in the absence of Alexander Djiku and he did not put a foot wrong.
The fact that his performance levels have remained high in his recent Ghana outings is testament to Mensah’s natural defensive ability.
Antoine Semenyo makes Ghana debut
The Bristol, City forward finally made his Ghana debut on Wednesday night after replacing Felix Afena Gyan in the second half.
Though he did not see much of the ball, his talent can’t be questioned and with 8 goals, 2 assists for his club, Semenyo is highly tipped to stake his claim in Otto Addo’s new look Black Stars team soon.
