Former Chelsea and English defender Ryan Bertrand believes Ghana will be adequately prepared for the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be held in Ivory Coast next year despite recent poor displays.
The Black Stars succumbed to two defeats in the last seven days during the international friendly break where they lost 2-0 to Mexico on Sunday, October 15 before a 4-0 humiliation to USA on Wednesday, October 18 in the United States respectively.
In both games, Ghana failed to find the back of the net but conceded six unanswered goals, a situation that has raised concerns on the team’s preparation ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Comoros and Madagascar in November as well as the AFCON.
That Notwithstanding, Bertrand who is currently in Ghana on invitation by Ghanaian-owned Koppan Sports Agency, is optimistic Hughton will have ample time to turn things around before the tournament in January.
“Yeah, I think first of all, football, be it international or domestic football, anything can happen. There are times you are not in the best form and end up doing well. Conversely, you can be in great form and underachieve, he told 3Sports in an interview.
According to him, the games between Mexico and the US are beneficial tests due to different playing styles, expressing confidence in gaffer Chris Hughton.
He acknowledged the emergence of talented players like Ernest Nuamah and Kudus Mohammed, emphasizing the need for Ghanaians to remain calm in order to build a competitive team.
Ghana has been pitted in Group B, alongside Egypt, Cape Verde and Mozambique.
Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.
Ryan Bertrand