‘Mali didn’t play anything extraordinary’ – CK Akonnor gives reason behind defeat

Black Stars head coach Charles Akonnor was handed a reality check as Mali defeated Ghana 3-0 in an international friendly on Friday.

The match was CK Akonnor’s first in Ghana’s dugout as his team was humbled by Mali at the Emir Hotel Sports Complex in Turkey.

Speaking to Adom TV, the former Ghana International gave reasons for the side’s below-par performance.

“I won’t blame the players for the defeat but the key thing which resulted in our loss to Mali was that the team was not organized,

“The players didn’t know themselves because most of them were debutants and even the first time they’re playing together, ” Akonnor said.

 He went on to add that his opponents did not play anything extraordinary despite securing that emphatic win.

“We trained for only two days and there was a lack of understanding as well. These are the few things which affected us during the game. Mali didn’t play anything extraordinary but they were an organized side which handed them the victory”, he concluded.

The former Hearts and Kotoko coach who look to redeem himself when Ghana faces Qatar on Monday at in the second international friendly in the space of three days.

Both games serve as preparatory grounds for Ghana ahead of next month’s AFCON 2021 qualifiers.