It was not the best of returns to the African Nations Championship (CHAN) for the Black Galaxies of Ghana, following their shock 2-1 loss to debutants Madagascar in Group C of this year’s tournament in Algeria on Sunday.
The Black Galaxies were making a first appearance at the competition since the 2014 edition in South Africa where they were runners-up.
Madagascar opened the scoring in the 10th minute through Solomampionona Koloina, who slotted the ball into the net after his initial effort was stopped by Black Galaxies keeper Danlad Ibrahim.
Things went from bad to worse for Black Galaxies as Madagascar went 2-0 ahead no thanks to a poor back pass by Augustine Randolf to Ibrahim.
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The tame back pass was intercepted by Tokinantenaina Olivier whose shot came off the leg of Ibrahim and sailed into the net.
In the 67th minute Black Galaxies pulled a goal back off a long range strike by Augustine Agyapong.
But all efforts to secure at least a point proved futile as Madagascar held on for a famous win.
The Ghana home-based team will take on Sudan in their second group game billed for Thursday, 19, January.
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COMMENTS
Useless coach with useless players!! I said it last week, we qualified to this tournament because of luck!!
Deo I told u
Your coach is better than Salisu. Only in Nigeria will a coach be caught openly for collecting bribe and will still be allowed to come near our national asset. I’m sure he’s still collecting that bribe now. You need to see the awkward display of the teams he’s been handling since his return. As a matter of fact he has 3 jobs now: u23 coach, home-based eagles coach and SE’s assistant coach. Chai….Naija, I hail o.
Self-made, sorry enh. Ghana played well in the later part of the game, they were just unlucky. They will most probably qualify from that group.
This is not a Ghana team. No flair, no cohesion, no power, no determination. We need to improve to make it out of this group
Ghana really tried in the latter part of the match. They could have won if they had started the match the way they ended it. They will improve as the tournament progresses. They possibly underrated Madagasar. And those guys came fully prepared knowing how tough West African opponents can be. Ghana has learnt her lesson.
sudan national team are all home base. So ghana can’t beat them.
_ Anticlimactic Ghana _
With such huge expectations at home and abroad for Ghana’s team going into this Chan tournament, the outcome of their opening match against minnows Madagascar was anticlimactic, to put it mildly.
A draw against the holiday destination country would itself have been unacceptable for a Ghana team hoping to win this tournament. But to lose 2:1 with only possibly only one match left to play in the group (following the drama of Morroco’s absence from the tournament) is nothing short of disastrous! Come to think of it, for Ghana to have mercilessly put to the sword by underdogs Madagascar, how would they have fared against the juggernaut that is the double Chan winning Morocco?
But all hope isn’t lost. A favourable outcome against Sudan on Thursday with results elsewhere going in their favour might yet see the battered and bruises Black Stars limp on crutches into the knockout phases.
But they have to improve their performance. Needless mistakes and a lethargic approach saw them humiliated against Madagascar, a team making their debut in the tournament.
I watched the match and enjoyed it as a neutral but I found myself screaming at the screen, saying: ‘what the hell are these Ghanaians doing?’
The Ghanian right fullback slipped and lost the ball which eventually found its way inside the box 18, only for slow reactions from the left fullback and the goalkeeper to gift Solomampionona Koloina Razafindrana (what a name) a most unlikely 1st goal for Madagascar.
And will Ghana learn? Oh no.
The laziest attempt of a back pass that will ever be captured on tape was executed by Augustine Randolf close to his 18 yard box which sold his goalkeeper short as the attentive Tokinantenaina Olivier Randriantsiferana pounced to devour the goalkeeper before lobbing past 2 despairing Ghanaian defenders to make it 2:0.
I didn’t believe what I was seeing. If the opponents were Nigeria, you will never see Ghanaian players make such elementary mistakes. They were at sixes and sevens.
Having said all that, by far my best moment of the match was Augustine Agyapong’s audacious cross from deep in right wing that miraculously found its way into the back of the net to the horror of the visibly stunned goalkeeper. Did he mean to score or was it a fluke goal? It didn’t matter, Ghana were back in the tie and he had injected life back into their faltering campaign.
But it was too little to late as Madagascar held on for a famous 2:1 victory.
I now eagerly wait to see how the Black Galaxies claw their way back from this debacle later in the week.
MADAGASCAR, COMOROS, EQ.GUINEA, ARE FUTURE PROSPECT OF AFRICA TEAM TO QUALIFY FOR WORLD CUP.
WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT MADAGASCAR DEFEATED NIGERIA 3-0 IN 2019 AFCON.
So, Africa powerhouse should watch out
But… what’s up with Ghana and Tournament Debutants?
First Comoros, now, Madagascar?
I once read someone claiming by qualifying for CHAN ahead of Nigeria, the future of their National team is secured. Is this the so called future?
Nigeria had never depended on CHAN team for the future.
Our futures are in the academies from mostly Non League teams and Foreign Borns.
I pray Ghana get this right anyways since this tournament is so precious to them.
We are too confident and underrate these awkward teams!! Our coaches sucks too because they don’t take these teams serious !
The most difficult teams to beat is a debutant as they come to prove a point