Head coach of Ghana’s Black Galaxies, Mas Ud Didi Dramani, has conceded that his team’s underwhelming performance contributed to their loss against Nigeria in the second leg of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) playoffs.
After a goalless draw in the first leg, the Super Eagles B secured a commanding 3-1 victory over the Black Galaxies at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Saturday, booking their spot in next year’s CHAN tournament.
Speaking after the game, Dramani admitted his disappointment with the result.
“Every coach will feel disappointed but the result is what it was. Nigeria showed more hunger and did a lot of running and we gave away some very key moments of the game which can turn out,” Dramani said.
Dramani pointed out the impact of specific moments on his team’s performance.
“I think the second goal we dropped the strength and energy of the team because of the manner it was scored, not even to talk about the third goal. Every team could lose its steam at that moment and it is always important that you can only try to make some adjustments especially when to regroup the team in the locker room.
He praised Nigeria’s determination, especially in the first half, and acknowledged his team’s failure to match their intensity.
“We think Nigeria showed a lot of hunger to get it done especially in the first half. Football is a game of moment and so when the moment of defensive awareness comes you sone fix it.
Reflecting on the defeat, Dramani added: “When an opponent has the edge, I think you have to live for it and I think we paid for our lacklustre approach and not about lack of concentration but in think that at that moment Nigeria showed that they were hungrier,” he added.
The result sees Nigeria advance to the CHAN tournament, set to take place next year across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, leaving Ghana to regroup and reassess ahead of future competitions.