Ghana coach Ibrahim Tanko attributed the heavy defeat to Morocco in the U-23 AFCON to fatigue within his team.
Tanko acknowledged that Morocco’s victory was well-deserved but highlighted the disparity in rest days, with Ghana having only one day of rest compared to Morocco’s two. The players showed signs of fatigue, which had a noticeable impact on their performance on the field.
Tanko admitted, “It’s a deserved win for Morocco but we had a day rest and they had two days of rest. The players showed fatigue,” He recognized that the team’s approach, including showing a lot of respect to Morocco, may have contributed to the outcome.
“We showed them a lot of respect and they punished us for that.”
Tanko also pointed out a similar situation with Congo, who faced a similar fate due to Guinea having an extra day of rest. This highlighted the importance of sufficient rest and recovery for optimal player performance.
“You saw how Congo also suffered same fate because Guinea had an extra day to rest”
Looking ahead to their next match, Tanko expressed determination to make good use of the two days they have to prepare the team. He emphasized that both Ghana and Guinea still have a chance to progress to the next stage of the tournament and that both teams will focus on thorough preparation. Tanko affirmed the team’s ambition to secure a victory and qualify for the next stage.
“Now we have two days before we play our next match and we will make good use of it”.
“Both of Ghana and Guinea stand a chance of making it to the next stage so both teams will prepare well for the game. Definitely we want to win and qualify to the next stage”, the Black Meteors Head Coach stated at the post match press conference.
Courtesy Morocco’s win, Ghana could miss out on progressing to the semi-finals of the U23 AFCON.
Failure to beat Guinea will mean the Black Meteors will exit the U23 AFCON at the Group Stage, missing out on qualification for the Olympic Games in the process.
The game between Ghana and Guinea is scheduled to be played on Friday, June 30.
