Coach Chris Hughton had yet another chance to gauge the competence and readiness of his players as the country gear up for another edition of the Africa Cup of Nations where the country is expected to win the ultimate.
Though Ghana’s qualification hinged on the outcome of the game against the Central African Republic, there was a general feeling that Hughton had enough arsenals to overcome the less-fancied CAR side and would use the opportunity to measure the quality of his team.
As it turned out, Ghana albeit laboriously managed a 2-1 victory over CAR at the Baba Yara Stadium on September 7, 2023.
After that victory, Hughton was also given another platform to try out most of his fringe players against Liberia on Tuesday, September 12, 2023.
The team which had only two players from the game against Central African Republic in the starting eleven, produced a convincing attacking performance with a 3-1 victory.
GhanaWeb analyses the players who gained and lost in the two matches.
Winners
Ernest Nuamah
At club level and with the Black Meteors, Nuamah had excelled but the big question was if he could do it with the senior national team and the youngster answered the questions with finesse.
He started the game against CAR from the bench but made the needed impact, scoring with a timely finish in front of his lovely people at Baba Yara Stadium.
He was handed a start against Liberia and he excelled beyond measure with an absolutely incredible finish for the first goal.
For a team blessed with so many rapid wingers, any opportunity granted any player must be taken with both hands and that is exactly what Nuamah did.
Antoine Semenyo
The Bournemouth striker could not have made his readiness for the striking role more apparent than the performance he put up in the two games.
His impact, coming on from the bench against CAR was telling as he pressed the defence and gave Ghana some presence up front. His ability to press defenders made him win the ball and set up Ernest Nuamah.
The same pressing quality got Ghana a goal against Liberia.
With both Baba Rahman and Gideon Mensah out of the squad, Hamid got the chance to impress the coaches and he grabbed it diligently.
In a slightly more advanced role as a wing-back in a 3-4-3 system, Fataw Hamid impressed with his runs down the left and combined well with the forwards.
Stephen Ambroissius
Since switching nationality, Kofi Ambroissius hasn’t had a lot of opportunities but he was presented one against Liberia and he gave a good account himself.
Djiku, Aidoo, and Amartey may be ahead of him in the pecking order but his passing abilities make him a great contender, especially in a three-back system where the services of a ball-playing center-back would be needed.
Losers
Andre Ayew
Andre Dede Ayew’s club-less status needs to end as soon as possible if he is to retain his role in the Black Stars.
The skipper sat out the entirety of the CAR game and was a late substitute against Liberia. The limited minutes granted Ayew in both games is largely due to his inactivity at club level and the earlier he sorts that out, the better for his national team career.
Richard Ofori
Richard Ofori’s influence in the Black Stars is waning as he is currently the third-choice goalie for coach Chris Hughton.
While Lawrence Ati-Zigi has by virtue of his performance in the World Cup stolen the first-choice spot, the second-choice was up for grabs until Chris Hughton decided to pick Manaf Nurudeen for the game against Liberia.
The South Africa-based goalie should be concerned about his status in the team.
Inaki Williams
His lackluster performance in the national team, influenced largely by the failure of the midfield to locate him with passes and the emergence of Antoine Semenyo as a more forceful option should give him a headache.
His performance against Central African Republic was nothing short of a disappointment and while his club-level performance will always earn him call-ups, he should be concerned that his place in the starting team is under threat.
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