‘The boys have talents’ – Mahama praises Black Stars after losing to Portugal
After last night’s first game against Portugal, the senior national team, the Black Stars, got a lot of praise from former President Mahama.
The team lost a painful game to Portugal in a dramatic way that showed how strong and determined they were.
In an interview with Citi News, the former President praised the team’s skill and asked Ghanaians to back it.
“They played very well and with a lot of confidence. The boys are good at things. So, this is the Black Stars for now and forever. Let’s give them all our support, and I’m sure they’ll go far.”
Ghana’s Black Stars lost their focus for two minutes in the second half of their Group H match, which helped Portugal win 3-2.
Andre Ayew’s goal in the 73rd minute seemed to give the Stars a second chance after Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty.
But in the 78th and 80th minutes, Joao Felix and Rafael Leao goals put Portugal back in charge.
Osman Bukari headed in a second goal for the Black Stars, but despite nine extra minutes, the Portuguese held on to win all three points.
Otto Addo’s team had a hard time losing because they kept Portugal from scoring for most of the first half and the start of the second.
Ghana looked even more dangerous than in the first half, as Kudus’s shot just missed the goal after a strong run.
Portugal, on the other hand, was the one to break the tie with a controversial penalty.
The referee said that Mohammed Salisu had taken down Cristiano Ronaldo in the box, even though the Ghanaians argued with him.
Ronaldo took the ball and put it in easily to put Portugal in front.
The lead only lasted five minutes. Kudus Mohammed, who had been giving the Portuguese trouble all game with his speed and skill, sent in a cross from the left side, and Andre Ayew tapped it in.
Soon after, things went wrong when Baba Rahman couldn’t stop a thorough the pass. Joao Felix snatched up the loose ball and scored a beautiful goal.
Rafael Leao, who came on as a substitute, sped toward the goal and slid the ball past Lawrence Ati Zigi.
Ghana looked like they had no chance, but Osman Bukari scored on a cross from Baba Rahman to give them hope.
Nine minutes of injury time went by quickly as the Stars looked for an equalizer. They almost got it when Inaki Williams got behind Diogo Costa to steal the ball but slipped at the most important moment.
The win puts Portugal on top of the group, but South Korea and Uruguay tied 0-0 earlier in the day, so the Black Stars’ loss today might not be too bad.
“I’ve seen some new players there who played great soccer, so I think we have a lot of potentials. Otto Addo is a good coach, so I think we should give him some room to help the team work together. So far so good”, Mr. Mahama added.
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