Ghana’s defender, Denis Odoi, has candidly addressed the goals conceded in their final Group B game against Mozambique at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Club Brugge player criticised the two goals as “stupid,” emphasising the team’s inability to compete when conceding in such a manner.
The first goal came in the 91st minute when Andre Ayew conceded a penalty, and the second resulted from a misjudgment by Richard Ofori, leading to a corner and Mozambique’s equaliser.
This pattern of defensive lapses echoed throughout the tournament, contributing to the team’s struggles.
With hopes of advancing to the round of 16 relying on complex mathematical calculations as one of the four best third-placed teams, the Black Stars face slim chances.
Expressing his dissatisfaction to the media in the mixed zone after the game, Odoi delivered a blunt assessment of the team’s performance, highlighting the critical need for defensive improvement to remain competitive in the tournament.
“If you look at the goals we conceded, we can’t say we deserve any more. It’s just about the goals we conceded; they are stupid,” he said.
“Stupid mistakes and if you give away the balls like that, we cannot compete.”
Ghana is third in Group B with two points from a 2-1 defeat to Cape Verde in their opening game, a 2-2 draw against Egypt in the second and another 2-2 draw versus Mozambique in the final match, which they had under control for more than 90 minutes.