Sudan’s Assistant Coach Discusses Ghana’s AFCON Qualifiers Outcome

Ignatius Osei-Fosu, assistant coach of the Sudan national team, believes Ghana’s defeat to Angola was a crucial moment in their AFCON qualifiers campaign. Ghana’s subsequent struggles stemmed from the pressure of losing a home match, affecting their performance in later games. Despite the emotional toll on the predominantly Ghanaian coaching staff of Sudan, they have led the team to qualify for AFCON after a decade, currently leading Group B in World Cup qualifiers.

Sudan’s assistant coach, Ignatius Osei-Fosu, has articulated what he perceives as the pivotal moment leading to the Black Stars’ downfall in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Formerly a successful coach in the Ghana Premier League, Osei-Fosu serves under Kwasi Appiah, the head coach of the Sudan national team. The unexpected turn of events saw both Ghana and Sudan placed in the same qualifying group, with Sudan notably advancing to Morocco while Ghana faced elimination, having drawn four points from their encounters with the Black Stars, including a decisive 2-0 victory in Morocco and a goalless draw in Ghana.

Osei-Fosu pointed to Ghana’s initial qualifying match against Angola as the turning point of their campaign. Despite appearing capable of securing a draw, a defensive error by Abdul Mumin allowed Angola to score a late goal, clinching a 1-0 win. He stated, “Losing in Kumasi to Angola, I think that was the end of the qualifiers for Ghana. Once you lose a home game, it becomes very difficult to recover. On any day, Ghana would have won that game against Niger in Morocco, but because we had already lost a game in Ghana, we were desperate to win at all costs. And playing with that kind of pressure is tough.”

Additionally, the predominantly Ghanaian composition of Sudan’s coaching staff, which includes Fatau Dauda as the goalkeeping coach, has escalated emotional strain as they reviewed Ghana’s struggles. Osei-Fosu lamented, “People have no idea how we feel when things go wrong. We really feel it. For Kwasi Appiah, it’s even harder because he’s an Executive Council (ExCo) member. It’s huge for him to sometimes even accept that Ghana has lost a game.”

Appiah, who was appointed as the head coach of Sudan in October 2023, alongside Osei-Fosu, guides the team to its first AFCON participation since 2013. Currently, they are leading Group B in the CAF World Cup qualifiers with an impressive tally of 10 points.

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers represent a critical pathway for national teams to secure a spot in the prestigious continental tournament. The dynamics of these qualifiers can significantly affect the trajectory of participating nations. In this context, the performance of the Black Stars has elicited considerable attention, particularly given their historical prowess in African football. The commentary provided by Ignatius Osei-Fosu, as a former Ghanaian coach now assisting a competing national team, adds another layer of depth to understanding this competitive landscape and the pressures faced by teams.

In summary, the analysis presented by Ignatius Osei-Fosu emphasizes the severe impact of Ghana’s defeat to Angola on their AFCON qualifiers journey. Focusing on the psychological and emotional ramifications of the loss, particularly the challenges it imposed on the team in subsequent matches, offers valuable insights into the complexities of football qualifications. Sudan’s success, juxtaposed with Ghana’s struggles, further highlights the competitive balance present within African football. Osei-Fosu’s reflections reveal the personal stakes involved for coaches intimately connected with both teams.

Original Source: www.ghanaweb.com