Coming from two goals down to record a 4-2 win over their Beninour counterparts to clinch the four-nation trophy at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium on Wednesday, Black Stars goalkeeper, Richard Kingson, has revealed that their quest to make sure that the CAN 2008 trophy remains in Ghana next year will not come an easy task judging from the kind of opposition the Stars had from Benin, who are considered by connoisseurs of the game as minors so far as clinching the 26th African trophy next year is concerned.
According to coach Claude Le Roy’s trusted pair of hands, who was made to rest during Wednesday’s game after suffering an injury in Stars game against Togo on Sunday Though the Black Stars’ secured victories in their two matches to lift the four-nation trophy, he felt the team did not perform to the maximum expectation of Ghanaians after promising to hand over to them the African trophy next year.
However, Kingson believed the competition has been a good exercise for the team especially the technical handlers as they observed some few lapses in the team that needs to be worked on before the commencement of the African Nations Cup next year.
He said, “winning the trophy last Wednesday, which many code-named ‘Host And Win’ Part I, will serve as a moral booster to the team as we prepare to win the African title next January when Ghana hosts the rest of Africa in the 26th edition of the African Cup of Nations but this I believe will not come easy judging from how we struggled against Benin”.
Touching on the introduction of some new faces into the team, Kingson praised coach Claude Le Roy for granting those players the opportunity to justify themselves in the team especially, striker Baffour Gyan, who fetched the Stars’ opening goal in the five-day competition. He added that almost every new player invited for the competition proved that he can go the extra mile if given the chance to feature in more games; something which Kingson believes brings competition into every team since no player will feel secure in a particular position.
Kingson, who praised his colleagues for exhibiting a spirited performance in the second half of the game that saw them hammering their opponents, promised to give his junior brother, Laryea Kingson a special package after the magic he performed especially with his two spectacular goals that helped him win the player of the tournament as well as the goal king award.
“In fact I was really amazed with Laryea’s magic last Wednesday as he operated from all angles and worked tirelessly to see to it that we clinch the trophy. He made me remember the day our late father told us we should never give-up in any game even when you are ten nil down until the final whistle” he said.
