Bibiani GoldStars head coach Frimpong Manso has admitted that his side’s poor first-half display and sloppy passing were key factors in their 2-0 loss to Algerian giants JS Kabylie in the CAF Champions League preliminary round first leg at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday.
The Ghana Premier League champions, making their debut in Africa’s elite club competition, conceded in both halves and now face a daunting task in the return leg in Algeria next week.
Reflecting on the match, Manso — who guided GoldStars to their historic first league title — was critical of his team’s performance in the opening stages.
“I think it was a difficult game, and we made too many mistakes in the first half. To be frank, against a team like this, if you start to lose passes in the midfield, you will always find yourself wanting. For me, especially in the first half, we didn’t play well,” Manso told reporters.
He further explained that the team’s transitions lacked cohesion:
“Our passes were poor; we were losing possession, and from midfield to attack, we were not supporting each other. After the first half, we made some changes, and I think it improved our game.”
JS Kabylie punished GoldStars with goals from Medhi Merghem in the first half and Babacar Sarr, who converted from a corner in the second.
GoldStars now need to overturn a two-goal deficit in Algeria if they are to keep their maiden CAF Champions League campaign alive.
