The Black Stars drew 1-1 with the Bafana Bafana of South Africa on Thursday at the FNB stadium to secure qualification to next year’s AFCON which will be held in Cameroon.
Below are the five key points we learned from the game:
1.Kudus always scores against South Africa
The talented Ajax midfielder scored his debut goal for Ghana in the 2-0 win over South Africa in the reverse game at Cape Coast when Kwesi Appiah was the Ghana head coach and now he has bagged another goal against the same opponents for his goal number two for Ghana but this time under the tutelage of CK Akonnor.
Kudus was deployed as the attacking midfielder who sat just in front.of the double pivot of Afriyie Acquah and Wakaso Mubarak in the 4-2-3-1 formation chosen by Akonnor and he did his job well.
The former Nordsjaelland player had some tough work to do to score the goal in the 49th minute as he strongly run through the South Africa defence with clear vision to slot the ball past the opposition goalkeeper.
2.Ghana lacked concentration.
The Black Stars scored in the 49th minute and conceded the equalizer just three minutes later.
Percy Tau – who has been the main source of threat for the Ghanaian defence throughout the game – scored with a low shot that beat goalkeeper Razak Abalora to bring the game to 1-1 in the 52nd minute.
3.Kwame Opoku ineffective on the flank
The Asante Kotoko striker – already sold to USM Alger – was positioned at the left side of attack as he and Edwin Gyasi flanked lead attacker Caleb Ekuban in the 4-2-3-1 formation of CK Akonnor.
Opoku – who has 8 goals this season in all competitions for Kotoko – was off color for almost all the time that he was on the pitch before he was bundled out in the 46th minute for Osman Bukari to take his place.
4. Abalora should have done better
The Kotoko goalkeeper celebrated wildly in front of the camera after Kudus Mohammed put Ghana ahead on 49 minutes but Abalora should have done better to stop the Percy Tau goal which was quiet an easy one to concede.
5. Morena was a bad finisher
The South African winger who plays for Mamelodi Sundowns and spotted in jersey number 4 had two good chances in the first half but he blew his efforts poorly wide.
His first big chance was inside the first ten minutes of the game when he received a good ball inside the Ghana penalty box but his poor strike could only shake the side of the net.
Thapelo Morena was once again played through as he found pocket of space unmarked in the Ghana box but his final ball delivery was poor.
