Black Stars defender Gideon Mensah has taken full responsibility for Ghana’s shocking 4-2 defeat to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Ghana threw away a 2-0 lead after goals from Ernest Nuamah and Felix Afena-Gyan, with Mensah at fault for two of the Gambian goals, conceding a penalty with a rash challenge and misplacing a back pass that gifted Ebrima Colley the visitors’ third goal.
Speaking after the game, the left-back, who captained the side in the absence of several senior players, said the team must accept all criticism.
“We have to accept that luck wasn’t on our side and we probably didn’t perform as we were supposed to perform. As captain today, I will take responsibility for everything that happened,” he said.
He added that “We are the players and we have to accept whatever comes from the people we play for.”
Mensah also pointed to the difficulty of integrating new faces into the team, noting that many of the players are still adjusting to what it means to wear the national colours.
“We can’t hide from the fact that we had so many newcomers in the team. When we talk about newcomers, it has to do with mentality. They didn’t know about playing for Ghana, wearing the Ghana jersey,” he explained.
He further added that “This is not something we can switch overnight. It takes time for new players to learn that playing for Ghana comes with a whole lot. You’re playing for a country where everybody lives off football, and everybody is happy when Ghana wins.”
The defeat is Ghana’s second in a row in Group C, following the opening 2-0 loss to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme