2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers: Five things we learned in Ghana’s boring game against Madagascar

In a lackluster showdown between Ghana and Madagascar during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, fans were left yearning for excitement as the match ended in a tiresome goalless draw.

After the goalless draw today Ghana still leads Group E with 9 followed by Angola with 8, Central African Republic with 7, and Madagascar with 2.

These are the five things we learned:

Joseph Aidoo and Daniel Amartey’s partnership at the back

Coach Chris Hughton selected the duo due to Alexander Djiku’s unavailability due to injury. There was no communication between them, they constantly put goalkeeper Ati Zigi under pressure with their wayward passing and tackling.

Jordan Ayew is not clinical

The Crystal Palace attacker could not find the back of the net today due to his desire to go wide and drop deep.

Goals a problem for the side 

During the qualifiers, the Black Stars haven’t been able to curve open opponents, the team sees lots of the ball but is not clinical when it matters.

We could not hold the ball for long

During the encounter, the Black Stars could not hold the ball for long periods to launch attacks. The team’s midfield in Antananarivo was run over by the strong and pacey Madagascan midfielders throughout the encounter.

Our creativity is lacking

When Black Stars get the ball they fail to launch good counter-attacks. As the game continued, the final pass to the attackers was also absent. Ghana most often did not know how to open up the opposition who sometimes sat deep. This increased the pressure on the team.