The Black Stars of Ghana have qualified for the AFCON 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast after a win over Central African Republic on matchday six of the qualifiers.
The Ghana national team hosted their Central African counterparts at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi.
To qualify, both teams needed a draw which would give them one point apiece. Ghana would qualify as the top team in Group E after a hard-fought win over their visitors. Angola rained on CAR’s parade by sealing a point of theirs to qualify alongside the Black Stars.
Here are the player reviews from the game, with ratings out of five stars.
Lawrence Ati-Zigi – 3
The Black Stars’ number 1 was a passenger for most of the game but was caught napping for the opening goal by Louis Mafouta of Central African Republic in the 25th minute of the game. He also made some good decisions in the game but not enough to earn him more than 3 stars.
Alidu Seidu – 3
The Black Stars defender was good going forward and in defence but like the rest of his teammates in defence, was caught napping for Mafouta’s goal. This earns him 3 stars from Goalball Live.
Joseph Aidoo – 3.5
The Black Stars defender was a rock at the back but for the goal from the CAR striker. He was also a good asset going forward. He earns 3.5 stars for his efforts to secure the win for Ghana.
Alexander Djiku – 3.5
The Fenerbahçe defender was returning to the Balck Stars team after a while and managed to put in a great shift alongside Aidoo of Celta Vigo in the Spanish LaLiga. Both players look like a partnership that manager Chris Hughton is going to keep for a long time. Djiku earns 3.5 stars for his performance.
Baba Abdul Rahman – 2
Another returnee to the Black Stars lineup is former Chelsea player Baba Rahman. The defender, who plays alongside Super Eagles vice-captain William Troost-Ekong at PAOK in Greece, was subbed off in the 69th minute for Gideon Mensah. It was a tactical decision more than a fitness one, which sees his ratings drop to 2 stars.
Salis Abdul Samed – 3.5
The Black Stars midfielder had a good game in the middle of the pitch. A few recoveries and tackles helped to cover up the occasional positional lapse, but he provided brilliant cover for the defence alongside his midfield partner Elisha Owusu. He earns 3.5 stars.
Elisha Owusu – 3.5
Elisha Owusus was subbed off in the 93rd minute of the game as Hughton wanted to give some minutes to Idrissu Baba. He was one of the Black Stars’ best players on the pitch. He earns 3.5 stars for his performance.
Osman Bukari – 2.5
Osman Bukari did not have a big impact on the game and was subbed out for the eventual match-winner Ernest Nuamah in the 63rd minute. He earns 2.5 stars for his performance.
Mohammed Kudus – 5
Mohammed Kudus is Ghana’s man on form at the moment. After troubling the CAR defence for most of the game, he came up with the goods to restore parity for the Black Stars in Kumasi. His second career freekick was a thing of beauty and he was involved in the matchwinner as well. 5 stars for the new West Ham United player.
Jordan Ayew – 3.5
The Crystal Palace man put in a great shift to help his tea scale past the CAR defensive setup. He is still looking for the back of the net but his leadership was evident on the afternoon. 3.5 stars for Ghana’s captain of the day.
Inaki Williams – 3
Inaki Williams is yet to fully convince fans in a Black Stars outing but his impact cannot be denied. The Athletic Club Bilbao striker is a tireless workhorse and his presence almost led to a few defensive errors. However, as Highton needed goals, he had to be sacrificed, leaving his rating at 3 stars.
Iddrisu Baba – NIL
The Almeria man was barely on for the match thanks to his being subbed in the dying minutes of the game. He gets no stars for this game as a result.
Ernest Nuamah – 4
The match-winner for the Black Stars, Ernest Nuamah was a big threat in the 20-odd minutes he spent on the pitch. He earns 4 stars for his efforts.
Gideon Mensah – 3
Gideon Mensah helped to stabilise Ghana’s backline after coming on for Baba Rahman. He earns 3 stars for his performance
Antoine Semenyo – 4
The AFC Bournemouth striker has shown that he can start in place of Inaki Williams in the Black Stars attack. He provided the assist for the winning goal and could have gotten on the scoresheet himself. He earns 4 stars for his efforts.
This article was most recently revised and updated 2 months ago
