Black Meteors defender David Oppong Afrane has stated that the team failed to maintain their chemistry at the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) upon the inclusion of foreign-based players.
After a smooth qualification series, Ghana secured their place in the tournament which was held in Morocco as they aimed to finish in the top three to make it to the 2024 Olympic Games.
However, they failed to even go beyond the group stage following their disappointing results in all three games. They recorded a narrow win over Congo but lost 5-1 to Morocco before settling for a draw against Guinea which was not enough to propel them beyond the first round.
Prior to the tournament, coach Ibrahim Tanko had begun camping with 22 local-based players at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Pramapram but were later joined by foreign-based players who were initially on duty with their various clubs.
The King Faisal centre-back believes the team had bonded well prior to the late addition of foreign-based players, which he believes damaged their chemistry.
“Our exit for me was caused by poor preparations and hard luck. During the qualifiers, most of the players were local-based but during the tournament, we were joined by many foreign players which affected team bonding and chemistry.
“Again, luck wasn’t on our side, I don’t agree that the countries in our group had more quality than us. Things just didn’t go well as planned,” David Oppong Afrane said in an interview with Akoma FM.
He also refuted comments among Ghanaians suggesting that the players displayed unpatriotism at the tournament which is what landed them in the disappointment.
“All of us were very patriotic and dedicated, so I don’t know where the complaint that we didn’t have the nation at heart during the tournament is coming from. Serving your nation is an honour and we really appreciate that opportunity,” he added.
