Former Togolese international, Emmanuel Adebayor says the Black Stars were tactically out of shape in their 2-1 defeat to Cape Verde.
Ghana opened their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) against the Blue Sharks in their Group B opener.
“Technically, they are good, but tactically they were not in shape, they are not the best. Technicality and tactics are not important anymore when you are playing the Africa Cup of Nations. What is important in the AFCON is the envy and mentality,” Adebayor, who is a former Arsenal and Manchester City striker told Sienu TV.
“The mentality has to be right, the enthusiasm of the game, you have to go out there and know that you are representing a country” Adebayor stressed.
Cape Verde surprised Ghana in the early stages when Jameiro Monteiro seized an opportunity on a rebound, opening the scoring after 17 minutes. Reacting swiftly to Richard Ofori’s spill following Ryan Mendes’ long-range shot, Monteiro put Cape Verde ahead.
After the break, Chris Hughton’s team emerged stronger, quickly securing an equalizer as Djiku, the Fenerbahce central defender, found the net from a corner delivered by Jordan Ayew. This levelled the score for Hughton’s men.
However, a lapse in the Black Stars defense allowed Cape Verde to regain the lead, resulting in a frustrating defeat for Ghana.
Ghana will hope to record their first win against Egypt in their second group game on Thursday at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan with kick-off scheduled at 20:00GMT.
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