The Black Stars Head Coach, Chris Hughton, is hoping his injured players who missed the team’s game against Madagascar at the weekend will be available for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final qualifier against the Central African Republic (CAR) in September.
The Black Stars will engage CAR in a dicey group E clash with an opposition that lurk at the third position on the log with seven points, two shy of the coach Hughton’s side.
It has become a must-win encounter after the Stars blew away an opportunity to seal qualification for the AFCON next year in Cote d’Ivoire following the draw with Madagascar.
Coach Hughton believes a full house of his trusted lieutenants would be a major boost in getting the desired results to qualify.
Coach Hughton missed the likes of Antoine Serlom Semenyo, Inaki Williams, Gideon Mensah, Alexander Djiku, Tariq Lamptey and Mohammed Salisu, but believes they would all be ready for the next game.
Speaking after Sunday’s game, coach Hughton said “We are playing at home. We need to get the result because we are fully aware of the consequences of a slip.”
“I am confident the players would be ready for the game, especially those that missed the Madagascar game.”
He expressed disappointment in Sunday’s results, explaining that they set out to win but failed to score goals.
“We found it difficult on the day because the pitch was difficult to play on. It was an uneven pitch but it is the same for both teams and we needed to be forceful in the key areas to create more opportunities to score.”
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
