A brace and an assist to Ernest Nuamah from Emmanuel Yeboah ensured the Black Meteors of Ghana started their quest for a place in the 2024 Paris Olympics with an important 3-2 win over Congo.
At the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on June 25, 2023, Ghana ensured they got the best start to the tournament with three second-half goals.
Ernest Nuamah and Emmanuel Yeboah might have scored and Ghana recorded a win but there are some serious questions to ask about the team.
One of which is what is Daniel Afriyie Barnieh’s best position in the Black Meteors setup?
Read on as I share my thoughts on the three-pointers from Ghana’s win over Congo
AFRIYIE BARNIEH OR EMMANUEL YEBOAH?
I believe one of the biggest headaches for Ibrahim Tanko in this tournament will be whether to start Emmanuel Yeboah or captain, Daniel Afriyie Barnieh.
I do not envy Tanko as it is never easy to choose between a captain and a potent goal threat.
With five goals in his last two games for the Black Meteors, Emmanuel Yeboah definitely has proven himself and deserves the chance to start for the Black Meteors moving forward.
Emmanuel Yeboah is a natural goal poacher, tried and tested.
His link-up play, vision to spot outer runs, and ability to hold up the play and run channels is impressive and that is the exact profile of a player the team needs to thrive.
That will mean that Afriyie Barnieh may be dropped to the bench as he does not function at his highest on the flanks which means to make room for him, he has to play as a number 10.
It will be interesting to see how Ibrahim Tanko moves things on the chess board in setting his team to come up against Morocco on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
CONCENTRATION
It was a worrying sight for me as the Black Meteors shipped in two late goals when the game seemed well out of reach for Congo after the third goal.
The defenders slept on the job as the game reached its climax.
So unimpressed was Ibrahim Tanko that he went hard on the boys in the post-game press conference, questioning the team’s lapse in concentration after conceding those two late goals.
“I am extremely angry with my players. How could we let the match slip away like this?” he quizzed in his post-match presser.
“We will remind them of the objectives we need to achieve and the importance of our presence here.”
Ghana cannot afford to repeat the mistakes against Morocco as the tournament progresses, and it is important Ibrahim Tanko ensures the lads stay concentrated for the entirety of every game.
IBRAHIM TANKO HAS GOT BALLS
I must applaud Ibrahim Tanko for his boldness to yank off Daniel Afriyie Barnieh and Sylvester Simba at half-time to make way for Emmanuel Yeboah and Hafiz Mohammed.
So perfect a change it was that Emmanuel Yeboah was involved in every single goal Ghana scored that day, setting up Nuamah and finishing off two goals by himself.
The substitutions show that Ibrahim Tanko is a man in charge of what goes on the pitch and off the pitch and a sign that he has a deep understanding of what his team needs to succeed.
It is important to see this trait early in the tournament as Ghana bids to make a first Olympic Games appearance in football for the first time since 2004.
In conclusion, the future is exciting for the Black Meteors and I expect a more concentrated side, a bolder Ibrahim Tanko to influence games from the touchline and Emmanuel Yeboah to spearhead Ghana’s charge to glory in Morocco.