Ghana coach Chris Hughton remains hopeful that several key Black Stars players who missed the team’s match against Madagascar will recover in time for their crucial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against the Central African Republic.
The team’s failure to secure a victory resulted in a goalless draw, delaying their qualification until September when they face the Central African Republic.
Leading up to the match, Ghana’s squad was without the services of Tariq Lamptey, Antoine Semenyo, Baba Abdul Rahman, Inaki Williams, and Alexander Djiku, who were all sidelined due to injuries. Gideon Mensah was also ruled out after the team’s doctor confirmed his ongoing fitness struggles.
Following the disappointing draw, coach Hughton expressed his determination to reevaluate his team’s strategy and approach for the final qualifier, emphasising the need to go all out for a win. He remains hopeful that the injured players will make a timely recovery to bolster the squad’s strength and provide additional options for the crucial match.
“Our strategy for the next match is to win. We are playing at home. We know we have to get the result and obviously, it’s a game we know the consequences if we don’t win. From here, we have a break.
“The players will have to go back to their clubs and they will start preseason and we will be ready for the game in September. We have some players missing today so hopefully those players will be available in September. We will be going into another difficult game against Central African Republic and we have to win,” he said.
Ghana lead the table with nine points, followed by Angola and Central African Republic who have eight and seven points respectively with Madagascar lying bottom with two points.
The Black Stars will need to avoid defeat to secure a place in the next AFCON qualifier which takes place in Ivory Coast next year.