Legendary Togo player Emmanuel Adebayor has taken aim at the Blackstars for their dismal performance in the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) match against Mozambique.
Adebayor declared that following such a poor showing, the team did not deserve to advance to the next round.
The Mambas rallied from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, ending the Blackstars’ tournament group stage without a victory.
Jordan Ayew’s two excellent halftime penalties put Chris Hughton’s team ahead going into the last few minutes of play.
But in the 91st minute of injury time, Mozambique cut the deficit in half thanks to a skillful penalty kick by Geny Catamo after Andre Ayew, the substitute, handled the ball in the penalty area.
Reinildo Mandava broke the hearts of the Ghanaians three minutes later when he headed a corner kick into the net to equalize the score.
Adebayor has now added his voice to the chorus of criticism directed at the Blackstars for their surrendering style.
The former striker for Manchester City and Arsenal feels Ghana lacked motivation and gave an amazing performance.
“I’m not surprised, I’m rather disappointed. Coming into this game, they [Ghana] knew they had their destiny in their hands, they knew they had to win, they knew this was a key game for the country but the way they played is just unbelievable,” Adebayor told George Addo Jr.
“They played with no motivation, they played with no communication, they played like they’re just here for fun and for me it’s completely wrong.
“I don’t know where they want to go because I think the best place for them is to fly back to Ghana, so that they can all go back to their clubs. If Ghana even qualifies, what are they going to do in the next stage?”
Adebayor's Brilliant Message to Black Stars after the draw against Mozambique
Shatta | Dede Ayew | Mohammed Kudus | Jordan Ayew | #ghanablackstars | Anas | Semenyo | Stephen Appiah | Asamoah Gyan | Ghana Must Go | Songo | Nana Addo pic.twitter.com/vuKyr3TxEB
— Abigail Trends (@BlackSherifFans) January 23, 2024
As for Ghana, they are about to lose the 2023 AFCON after being held to a draw by Mozambique on Monday night.
As a result, Ghana is now down to just two points in Group B and has very little chance of making it to the round of 16.
