The Black Stars have been urged to show commitment, hunger and passion when they take to the battlefield against the Warriors of Zimbabwe in a Group G Qatar 2020 World Cup qualifier on Saturday.
Chief Scribe of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Henry Asante Tsum, hopes the Stars churn out a positive reaction with victories in the back-to-back qualifiers.
“Our expectation is that the team will give us a positive reaction by winning the two games against the Warriors.
“We expect the players to show hunger and desire on the field of play to restore public confidence,” he told the Times Sports yesterday.
The Stars arrived in Cape Coast yesterday to a rousing welcome from expectant fans and later plunged into light training in the evening.
Today, the Andre Ayew-led side will see a more rigorous session in their regimen under their Serbian gaffer Milovan Rajevac – who is being assisted by Maxwell Konadu and German-born Ghanaian Otto Addo.
According to the FA Communications Director, the Stars will emerge with a home win ahead of the away reverse fixture on Tuesday, October 12, once the players demonstrate the zeal and hunger for the maximum points.
“We have a quality team, doubtless. All we need from the players is hunger and desire on the field, and once we pluck the much-needed result, the confidence of the public would be restored,” he stressed.
South Africa’s Bafana Bafana struck late to defeat Ghana 1-0 in second game of the Qatar 2022 Group G qualifier at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg last month. Striker BongoKuhle Hlongwane slotted home in the 83rd minute to sting the Stars – their first since August 2010. The win takes Bafana to the apex of the log with four points from two matches in the on-going qualifiers.
Three-points Ghana, now joint second-placed with Ethiopia – who ditched bottom-placed Zimbabwe in their last game, are aiming to qualify for their fourth Mundial – after the Germany 2008, South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014 tournaments.
Meanwhile, the Stars are expected to train behind closed doors.
According to the FA, the “directive shall be strictly enforced to provide a sound atmosphere for the team ahead of the match.”
It noted that training pictures and videos shall be made available across GFA platforms on facebook (Ghana Football Association), Twitter (ghanafaofficial), Instagram (ghanafaofficial) and YouTube (Ghana Football Association).
BY JOHN VIGAH
