The assistant coach of the Sudan national team, Ignatius Osei-Fosu, has indicated that Ghana’s defeat to Angola was a defining moment in their failure to qualify for the 2025 AFCON. Despite Sudan’s success in qualifying and their compelling performances, including defeating Ghana twice during the qualifiers, Osei-Fosu emphasized that the defeat in Kumasi significantly affected Ghana’s momentum and confidence moving forward.
The assistant coach of the Sudan national team, Ignatius Osei-Fosu, has identified the pivotal moment in Ghana’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers as their defeat against Angola. Osei-Fosu, who has previously coached numerous clubs in the Ghana Premier League, was appointed as an assistant to Kwasi Appiah after Appiah took the reins of the Sudanese national team.
Sudan and Ghana found themselves grouped together in the AFCON qualifiers, and intriguingly, Sudan qualified for the tournament, finishing ahead of Ghana. They amassed four points against the Black Stars, securing a 2-0 victory in Morocco and a goalless draw at home in Accra.
Osei-Fosu attributes Ghana’s inability to progress further in the competition to their opening match loss against Angola. A defensive error by player Abdul Mumin resulted in a 1-0 defeat, which Osei-Fosu believes was detrimental to Ghana’s prospects. He remarked, “Losing in Kumasi to Angola, I think that was the end of the qualifiers for Ghana. Once you lose a home game, it becomes very difficult to recover.”
He elaborated that the loss heightened the pressure on the team, complicating their strategy in subsequent matches. Despite having been capable of winning against Niger in Morocco, the earlier defeat made them overly desperate for victory. Osei-Fosu provided insight into the emotional turmoil the Sudan coaching staff faced as they watched their compatriots struggle, particularly for Kwasi Appiah, who holds a prominent position within the Ghana football community.
Appiah’s appointment as head coach of Sudan in October 2023 was followed by naming Osei-Fosu as his assistant. The duo has successfully led Sudan to their first AFCON qualification since 2013, while Sudan presently leads Group B in the CAF World Cup qualifiers with a total of 10 points.
This article discusses the performance of the Ghana national football team during the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2025 and the views of Sudan’s assistant coach, Ignatius Osei-Fosu. The analysis focuses on how a critical loss to Angola impacted Ghana’s qualification hopes. The context includes Ghana’s historical prominence in African football and their recent struggles compared to the performance of Sudan, highlighting the competition between the two teams during the qualifiers.
In conclusion, Ignatius Osei-Fosu’s remarks illuminate pivotal moments that can define a team’s journey in competitive sports, specifically in the context of Ghana’s unsuccessful AFCON qualifiers. His perspective underscores how critical home matches are for momentum and confidence. The emotional weight carried by the Sudan coaching staff, especially members with Ghanaian roots, reflects the complexities of international football rivalries and their broader implications on coaching and team dynamics.
Original Source: www.ghanaweb.com
