Five talking points from Ghana’s game against Madagascar

Ghana was held to a goalless stalemate by Madagascar in their Group E away encounter in the AFCON Qualifiers on Sunday, June 18, 2023.

Ghana struggled to create chances from open play, relied on long-range shot attempts, and even failed to make good use of set pieces to get something in the game.

Although the Black Stars were in control of the match for most of the 90 minutes, they could not get on the scoresheet.

Following the match, here are some talking points:

Andre Dede Ayew didn’t deserve to start and play 90 mins

For a player who just managed 12 appearances as a substitute for Nottingham Forest last season, fans did not expect Chris Hughton to start Andre Ayew in the game against Madagascar.

Despite having rich experience playing for the national team, Andre Ayew could have come on as a substitute in the game, as agreed by many football lovers in Ghana. The 33-year-old played the entire duration of the game and barely did any good for the team in attack.

Kudus shouldn’t have started from the bench



It was rather surprising to see Mohammed Kudus, who is one of Ghana’s inform player start from the bench in the game against Madagascar. The only reason for Kudus starting from the bench was if he was injured, but that was not the case.

For many fans, Kudus deserved to start ahead of Andre Ayew in the match and would have contributed more to the attack in the game and probably helped the team win the game if only he had more minutes in the game. The Ajax player who scored 18 goals last season was introduced in the second half and made a few contributions in the game.

Ineffective use of set pieces



After just 30 minutes of action in the game, Ghana had 11 set pieces, six corners, and five free kicks. However, the team failed to make good use of all the set pieces. Jordan Ayew, who elected himself to effect nine of the set pieces in the game, had only one on target.

Thomas Partey came close to scoring with his powerful strike, but it was saved by the Madagascar goalkeeper. For a team that has struggled to establish a playing style, many have wondered why the Black Stars have not taken advantage of set pieces as their secret weapon in matches.

Hughton's defensive approach



In a match against a team that has only picked up a point in their last four matches, it was expected that the Black Stars would have dominated the game and showed their class against the Madagascan team that assembled local players for the Black Stars.

Chris Hughton’s style of play has yet to sit well with many Ghanaians, who perceive there is still no proven blueprint for the Black Stars' style of play. In the last three matches that Hughton has taken charge of, the Black Stars have been more defensive-minded and have been lackluster in attack.

Ernest Nuamah’s impressive performance

Despite the team's overall performance, 19-year-old Ernest Nuamah had a standout debut, much to the delight of many fans. Nuamah was introduced in the 62nd minute, replacing Southampton winger Kamaldeen Sulemana.

The FC Nordjaelland player who was deployed on the flanks was able to take on defenders and was a constant threat to the Malagasy team. Many teaming fans believe there is more the youngster can offer the Black Stars but needs more time.

JNA