Two Ghanaian coaches Abdul Karim Zito and Yaw Preko have cautioned the Black Galaxies against complacency in their quarter-final game against Niger in the ongoing Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) on Saturday.
The Black Galaxies are hoping to make reach another final after reaching the knockout stage of the competition.
Ghana finished as runners-up in Group C to set up this clash with Group E winners Niger.
Speaking ahead of the game, Coach Karim Zito advised the Black Galaxies team not to underrate their counterpart as the game will be tough.
“It will be very difficult game”, he said in an interview.
“Most of their players are from Ghana. The Niger FA comes to scout the players here in Ghana and take them there. Their play is similar to that of Ghana. Anytime we (Ghana) face them, they approach it like a World Cup.
“It is not going to be easy and so we should not underrate them because of the name. Any team playing Ghana always wants to compete with us. With good understanding, we will be able to take them on.
Great Olympics coach and a former Ghana international, Yaw Preko said the Niger team is no much for the Black Galaxies based on his observation of the team.
“No disrespect to Niger but I don’t think they have what it takes to stop us.”
“In our last game against Sudan, the boys came to the party and we were able to stop them. Ghana, when the tournament is ongoing that is when the boys come to the party. Nobody can stop them. We saw it against Sudan. They (Niger) don’t scare me because I have watched them”.
Yaw Preko urged the team to be cautious in their approach towards this game.
“We have to be cautious and I believe in the boys. We have to be vigilant, they cannot stop us. I don’t think this Niger team has what it takes to beat Ghana. Against Cameroon, I didn’t see them possess the game which we (Ghana) do better. They are not properly organized and if that is how they are going to play then it will be difficult”.
“On a good day if our players come to the party we should be able to reach the semi-finals”, he added.
By Herbert Boakye Yiadom