Ghana’s U-23 coach, Ibrahim Tanko, has attributed his team’s disappointing performance against Morocco on Tuesday night to inadequate rest for the players.
The Black Meteors suffered a humiliating 5-1 defeat in their second game of the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which significantly hindered their chances of advancing to the next stage.
Tanko pointed out that the team had just one day to train for the match, as Ghana had played and won against Congo on Sunday, while Morocco had an additional day of rest after their victory over Guinea on Saturday.
Tanko acknowledged that fatigue played a significant role in the team’s defeat and emphasized that one day of rest was not sufficient to prepare adequately to face Morocco, who had an extra day of rest.
He also admitted that his team displayed a high level of respect for their opponents, which ultimately worked against them. Tanko stated, “It’s a deserved win for Morocco, but we had one day of rest while they had two days. The players showed fatigue. We showed them a lot of respect, and they punished us for that.”
Tanko further highlighted that the scheduling disparity affected other teams as well, using the example of Congo, who faced a similar fate against Guinea due to the latter’s extra day of rest.
With their hopes of advancing in the competition hanging by a thread, Ghana must now secure a victory against Guinea in their final group game on Friday. Their ultimate goal remains to secure one of the three available spots in the AFCON, ensuring their qualification for the Olympic Games in Paris next year.
Source – 3news.com
