AFCON Qualifiers: CK Akonnor expects attacking football from Sudan

Black Stars coach Charles Akonnor says he is expecting an attacking display from Sudan in today’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

Akonnor says with Sudan needing a win to keep in the frame for qualification to the 2021 AFCON, they will throw more men forward.

He thus has warned his players to be compact and resolute when they are without the ball.

He told the media channel of the Ghana Football Association that the team must find ways of neutralizing the threat of the Sudanese.

In the first match, Ghana conceded possession in dangerous areas which allowed Sudan to create some chances.

Akonnor and his technical team have realized it and they are working on improving that aspect of the team’s performance.

“We need a balance. The right balance in attack and defense. In our first game, we found ourselves struggling when we lost possession and that is what we have worked on since the last match.

“And so, we are looking forward to improving in that area because we gave the opponent a few counter-attack situations. And of course, we expect them to come with two strikers, they are playing home, they need to win and so we need to be better in that area and I think once we are good in that area, we will find a good situation,” he concluded.

A win today will confirm Ghana’s place in the next AFCON and Akonnor will have to do it without his talismanic captain, Andre Dede Ayew.

The skipper picked up an injury in training which prevented him from travelling with the team to Sudan.

Charles Akonnor is unhappy with the situation but is confident of picking a good result on the road.

“First of all, he is the leader of the team and so if you don’t have your leader, it’s always a problem,” he said.

“But having said that, these are professionals, they have been in Europe for quite some time now, they are doing well so they know what to do, and of course, with a bit of guidance from the technical team, I think they will be able to do well.

“He (Andre) is not in and so it won’t be necessary for us to talk about it. Yes, we have lost him, he delivered, he gave us two goals the other day.

“But now he is no more there and so we have to deal with it and strategically, we will find a way as to how we will play and get success,” Akonnor concluded.