The Black Stars of Ghana drew goalless with their counterparts from Comoros in the 2018 World Cup qualifier at the Stade Cheikh Said Mohammed on Friday.
The game appeared an easy task for the Black Stars ahead of the kickoff considering the position of the two countries on the current FIFA rankings released a few weeks ago.
The Les Coelecantes were obvious underdogs going into the game but their determination during the game fetched them an unexpected point which drew jubilations from the home fans after the game.
Your most informative sports website GHANAsoccernet.com brings to you five things learnt from game.
- Comoros were highly motivated: Before the game, we acknowledged that the Comoros side will be highly motivated the based on the fact that they will be highly motivated for playing against the Black Stars. This was obviously the case during the 90-minutes encounter as the unknown Comoros side lived up to the billing against the Black Stars. The side led by Amir Abdou played with the Black Stars highly motivated intrinsically to the extent that they nearly won the game.
- The difficulty of the Astroturf: The Black Stars players had complained about the nature of the field ahead of the game. Captain Asamoah Gyan complained about the artificial pitch moments to the game after deputy captain Andre Ayew had earlier made a similar comment. The Comoros side was very comfortable playing on the Astroturf while the Black Stars struggled on some occasions to control the ball. The strength demanded to play on the Astroturf drained the Black Stars getting to the end of the first half which gave the Comoros side an advantage.
- The Craftiness of goalkeeper Salif Ben Boina: One major factor that denied the Black Stars the three points in the game was the craftiness of Comoros goalie, Salif Ben Boina. Salif’s agility and aptness in the Comoros post ensured that the Black Stars could only record shot on target but not the target itself. Mubarak Wakaso tried a shot at goal in the early minute of the game but the twenty-four year old stood and his feet to deny the Black Stars an early goal. Salif’s goalkeeping prowess were hugely recognized especially in the second half after denying Afriyie Acquah, Agyemang Badu, Andre Ayew and David Accam the chance to kiss the net on numerous occasions.
- The Comoros fans were lovely: It was obvious from the response of the fans right from the day the Black Stars arrived in Comoros till the game that the fans were really ready to get entertained. The fans attendance at the 2000 capacity stadium outnumbered the actual and exact capacity the stadium should have accommodated. Plastic chairs were carried to the Cheikh Said Mohammed Sports Stadium to create comfortable seats for some of the fans who could not get seated. The fans were electrified getting to the dying embers of the game when Comoros appeared to have scored a goal which was denied by the referee for offside positioning.
- The Bonus row took a toll: Before the game, the leadership of the Black Stars met on some occasions with the Ministry Of Youth and Sports over the bonus slash of the team. The players were not happy with the news more especially when it came public before their attention was drawn. We are told the Minister tried to settle the matter with team before they left for Comoros but they was no amicable settlement. I noted earlier before the game that it will take a negative stride on the team and I think I was right. The Black Stars, even though displayed positive reflexes in the game, showed signs of psychological dissatisfaction in the game.
By: Sheikh Tophic Sienu @desheikh1 on twitter