The Black Stars slumped to a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of their American opponents in Wednesday night’s friendly game and it is a result that leaves serious question marks hanging over the future of manager Chris Hughton
Giovanni Reyna, Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun scored the goals for the North Americans to hand the Black Stars their heaviest defeat in recent outings
Here are four talking points from the match...
Hughton Living On Borrowed Time
Not only were the tactics wrong, but as has been the case since in their recent games. Hughton looked bereft of any inspiration. The players, as talented as they are, aren’t responding to his ideas, and it must have been a tough watch for many Ghana fans to watch their team play so bad.
Hughton looked a broken, beaten man at the final whistle. He faces a mammoth task in trying to rouse his troops for the upcoming AFCON 2023 tournament, assuming he is still in charge...
Speculation that there will be a managerial change will only increase, and it is becoming harder by the day to make a case for the 64-year-old. Would it be too late? Well, the future would suggest not. A new manager would, at the very least, spark something that could get the team back to winning ways.
Why Did Edmund Addo Start?
Granted a starting berth by Chris Hughton, Edmund Addo was expected top be a key figure in the Ghana engine room.
It couldn’t have gone any worse for the midfielder as it was clear he wasn’t fit from the outset. A mere passenger in the game, the Black Stars might as well have played with ten men.
If he was fit, then his performance was dismal and if he was injured, it raises even more questions as to why he remained in the game for so long.
Gideon Mensah had a game to forget
The defender was particularly sloppy in the first half as he committed a needless foul in the box in the early minutes of the game and conceded a penalty. He was also out of his position to cover for USA' third goal.
Mensah not cope with the intensity of USA's pressing in the first half, and gave possession away on the edge of the box after being hunted out by several American players.
Lacked urgency in his passing, and was taken off after the interval. A poor game by the Auxerre man. No one seems to know why he played with such diffidence in the game. This will certainly go down as Gideon Mensah's saddest day in his career and a day he will quickly love to forget.
USA played The Perfect Game
The Americans were dominant but Ghana had some good spells. The North Americans didn’t allow the Ghanaians play and were much more clinical in possession of the ball. The USA took their time and converted chances on goal at the right moment, whereas Ghana were wasteful whenever big chances arose.
