By Emmanuel Yaw Nkansah
Before their African Nations Championship opener against Madagascar, coach Annor Walker had declared that the Black Galaxies were in the tournament to win. Given the caliber of their opponents and the fact that this was their maiden appearance at the CHAN tournament, many expected a straightforward win for the Galaxies, but a straightforward win it wasn’t as they were stunned 2-1 in a performance that can only be described as shockingly inept.
Goals from Tokinantenaina Randriatsiferana and Solomampionona Razafindranaivo were enough to secure victory for the Malagasy on Sunday night. Ghana’s consolation goal was scored by substitute Augustine Agyapong. But seriously, how do you lose to a team full of players with difficult-to-pronounce names?
Stat-wise the Black Galaxies were not bad as they were dominant in ball possession (64%), committed fewer fouls than their opponents, and had seven corners compared to one for the Malagasy. Their profligacy in front of goal as well as defensive errors cost them dearly as Madagascar took their chances, capitalising on poor play and disorganisation from the Galaxies to clinch the win.
If Ghana is to progress to the next stage of the competition, tactical changes will need to be made to fully and effectively take advantage of the team’s strengths in order to overwhelm their opposition. It is imperative that the defence shapes up and becomes a lot more compact to avoid conceding ‘silly’ goals and that the attack becomes more clinical to convert the chances created into goals. The next match against Sudan is a make-or-break fixture for the Galaxies, as they will need to beat Sudan, probably by a hefty margin, to secure a place in the next round.
In the other matches, hosts Algeria beat Libya 1-0 in the tournament opener on Friday thanks to a penalty by Aimen Mahious, while Ethiopia and Mozambique played out a goalless draw in the second Group A fixture on Saturday. In Group B, Uganda and DR Congo played out a goalless draw, while a goal from substitute Moussa Ndiaye was enough for Senegal to clinch a 1-0 victory against Ivory Coast.
The final games of Matchday 1 take place today as Mali square off against Angola, while Cameroon take on Togo in the other Group C fixture. Watch both matches, as well as all the subsequent African Nations Championship games live on GTV Sports+.
