Former Hearts of Oak coach Hamza Obeng admits to Afriyieh Barnieh's decline

Former Hearts of Oak assistant coach Hamza Obeng has admitted that Daniel Afriyie Barnieh is now out of form but believes the striker will return to form soon.

Barnieh who captained the Black Satellites to Africa Cup of Nations glory in 2021 also stood out for Hearts of Oak during the 2020/21 season winning the Ghana Premier League and the FA Cup.

His performance also earned in him a place in the Black Stars for the 2022 World Cup.

However, his career has suffered a swift setback after moving to FC Zurich in Switzerland where he has struggled for first-team football.

The 22-year-old has recently suffered massive criticism following the Black Meteors atrocious showing at the ongoing U-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) where they have already suffered an early exit and returned to Ghana.

Reacting to the issue, Hamza Obeng who was an instrumental figure in the Hearts of Oak technical team admitted the decline in Barnieh's performance but assured Ghanaians to expect a resurgence.

“Barnieh was not at his best in the game against Congo, which is why the coach substituted him. He was not involved in the game. Both he and Simba did not perform well” Obeng told Kumasi FM.

“There are coaches who could have still started Barnieh even after his underwhelming performance in the first game,” he added.