“Nigeria showed more hunger and did a lot of running” – Didi Dramani after Ghana’s defeat in Nigeria

Ghana will miss the 2024 CHAN tournament to be co-hosted by Tanzania-Kenya-Tanzania-Uganda in February 2025.

The tournament is organised by CAF for only players playing their football on the African continent. Ghana was drawn alongside rivals Nigeria for a slot in the finals. The first leg ended goalless putting the two teams under pressure ahead of the second leg.

On Sunday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Nigeria easily defeated Ghana 3-1 to win a ticket for the tournament.

After the game, Ghana head coach Mas Ud Didi Dramani was disappointed with the results.

“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.

Truthfully, the Ghanaian gaffer admitted the Nigerians showed more hunger than Ghana. In the game, the local Super Eagles ran more than Ghana, as it was one of the reasons they emerged victorious, according to Didi Dramani.

“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.

Ghana’s back four of Kamadini Mamudu, Fatawu Suleyman, Razak Simpson and Ebenezer Abban lacked everything in the game. They lacked organisation, communication, confidence and the self-belief to face Nigeria’s attack. The defence ultimately let the team down.

“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 regrouping the team in the locker room.

“We think Nigeria showed a lot of hunger to get it done especially in the first half.” Mas Ud Didi Dramani said.

“Football is a game of the moment, and so when the moment of defensive awareness comes, you can fix it.

“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 I think that at that moment, Nigeria showed that they were hungrier.” Didi Dramani added.

Ghana’s men’s senior teams have been very poor in 2024 with the Black Galaxy rounding off the year with a disappointing display in Uyo.