Toothless Black Stars punished by Comoros

Ghana Black Stars’ lack of productivity in front of goal has always been their undoing but today, they got a raw deal of it after suffering another shock defeat to Comoros. The four-time African champions have been added to the beatable teams list as Comoros showed that the glory days of the Stars are well gone and buried.

A first-half wonder goal from Myziane Maolida was all that was needed to send the Island nation back to the summit of the group as the Ghanaians now watch from a distant fourth place. Comoros started brightly and showed early their intentions to get the maximum points. So after Ghana missed glorious chances through Antione Semenyo and Jordan Ayew, the Coelacanths sprung to life and took advantage of the chances.

The Black Stars were caught napping in the middle of the park as Iddrisu Baba failed to act fast while policing Maolida in Ghana’s area. The Ghanaian defenders did little to help with none willing to commit as they paraded themselves near the edge of the box. But the 24-year-old Hertha BSC forward didn’t need to do further as he stretched a curler towards goal that comfortably beat Richard Ofori to break the deadlock.

Efforts to get back into the game proved futile as the half-fit Mohammed Kudus who came on for Andre at the start of the second half could not do much. Later, Majeed Ashimeru and Ernest Nuamah joined the action, but none could help get the equalizing goal as Ghana laboured to a lone-goal defeat at the Stade de Moroni.

Nuamah did, however, help bundle one into the net but the referee ruled it out for a challenge on the goalkeeper and that was all the Black Stars could manage as Chris Hughton suffered his first competitive defeat since taking over.

Group I is now evenly balanced with Chad the only team yet to earn a point. The victory puts Comoros at the top with the maximum points from two matches with Mali dropping to second after dropping two points against the Central African Republic. Madagascar who lost to Ghana on Friday are third after defeating Chad 3-0.

The next round of matches is in June when Ghana will face Mali and the Central African Republic.