Ivory Coast coach Hervé Renard has rejected suggestions that Ghana’s absence of several key players contributed to his side’s 2-0 victory in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
Malick Yalcouyé and captain Franck Kessié scored in Bouaké as the Elephants made a winning start to their qualifying campaign.
Ghana were without a number of established players because of injuries and personal reasons, prompting questions about whether their absentees had influenced the result.
Renard, however, dismissed the suggestion and pointed out that Ivory Coast were also missing several players.
“Why the players are not around, key Ghanaian players, this is not my issue. This is your problem, I would say,” Renard said after the match.
“We were missing five or six players as well. So we won this game, and that’s all.”
The French coach also resisted calls for Ghana’s defeat to be accompanied by explanations, insisting the result was what mattered to his team.
“It was the first game for the qualifiers of the Africa Cup of Nations 2027. The result is good for us,” he said.
“Now, if you want to discuss your players, we are not there about the penalty. For me, so many excuses.”
The defeat leaves Ghana needing a response in their second Group C fixture when they host Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, 29 September.
Ivory Coast, meanwhile, will look to maintain their winning start when they face Somalia in their next qualifier.
