Frederick Acheampong, Chairman of the Black Meteors Management Committee, has identified weak defense as the primary reason for Ghana's underperformance at the U23 AFCON tournament in Morocco.
Acheampong acknowledged that defensive lapses cost the team dearly, resulting in their early exit from the ongoing tournament in North Africa. Despite showing promise in front of goal, Ghana conceded eight goals in three matches, dashing their hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games.
“During the qualifiers, one department we had so much hope in was our defence. We conceded two goals from four games in the qualifiers so it appeared as though that was the strongest of our departments but when we arrived at the tournament there were changes,” Acheampong told 3FM on Sports Ultras
He further explained, “Alex Opoku couldn’t turn out for the tournament and coaches had to make changes, and our most robust department became our weakest and we conceded eight goals in three matches, which is not good enough,” he added.
The Black Meteors' dream of Olympic Games qualification was shattered after a 1-1 draw against Guinea in their final Group A game last Friday. The team needed a victory to progress from the group stage to the semifinals but settled for a draw, resulting in their early elimination.
Guinea's captain, Ibrahim Fofona, cancelled out Emmanuel Yeboah's first-half opener with a beautiful volley in the second half. Ghana's exit at the group stage marks another disappointing tournament for the team.
