LeRoy Blames Referee For Defeat

LONDON (AFP) — Coach Claude Leroy blamed English referee Rob Styles for Black Stars defeat in their friendly international against Mexico here at Fulham's Craven Cottage ground on Wednesday - but he acknowledged his side had paid for not taking their chances.

The Black Stars were the better team for most of the game, and led 1-0 through Michael Essien's 55th-minute strike, but a terrible error from substitute goalkeeper Patrick Antwi gifted Mexico a equaliser, before a hotly disputed 88th-minute penalty gave Mexico the victory.

Styles pointed to the spot as Eric Addo seemed to bundle over Adolfo Bautista, but Leroy was not only deeply unhappy with that decision, but felt Ghana should have two penalties of their own.

After a week where respect for officials has been a major talking point in the English game, Leroy said: "You know I never talk about the referee but today (Wednesday)- I don't know why - it seemed he had something against us. He made a lot of big mistakes. I don't know why.

"We are a fair team and I don't know why he would do this. He was not responsible for the first goal of Mexico, but I was disappointed by his weak performance. It is terrible in this kind of game.

"It was not just their penalty, but there were two big fouls in the box for us. They were more obvious."

There was a huge appeal for handball in the final minute as Sulley Muntari crossed from the left, but that aside it was hard to know which decision Leroy was talking about.

Even if Styles was to blame, his mistakes could not hide a performance that showed up all the faults Ghana had shown during the African Nations Cup, when they were bundled out in the semi-final by Cameroon.

With their World Cup qualifying campaign beginning against Libya in Kumasi on June 3, they are issues that need resolving quickly.

"I don't think we have a problem with strikers," said Leroy. "But we do have a problem with efficiency. It was the same problem in the Nations Cup."

Ghana play Niger in Tamale on Sunday in a game for domestic-based players only and Leroy added: "Strikers are always under pressure. We have to review all our strikers - that's why there's a local national team - to try to find a striker to try to put pressure on the strikers in the team.

"We have more outside strikers, but we are missing inside strikers."

Leroy was keen not too much blame should be attached to Antwi, whose hapless attempt to deal with Essien's backpass handed Carlos Salcido a simple chance to level.

"It was a stupid mistake," said Leroy. "But it's difficult to kill a young goalkeeper because he made a mistake.

"It's a problem of confidence - and it's so different for a goalkeeper. If a striker misses an opportunity to score, everybody forgets, but when a goalkeeper makes a mistake, it's terrible for him.

"He made a bad choice - on this kind of pitch it's best not to take a risk and try to control the ball. But it happens and now we have to try to help him to recover his confidence."

Mexico coach Hugo Sanchez admitted his side had not played particularly well, but was delighted with the result.

"We showed great character," said the former Mexican striking icon.