The Chairman of the Black Sharks management committee, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah and a long-standing Ghana beach soccer administrator has conceded that the current team is not up to the highest level expected.
In a post-match interview after the 5-2 defeat to Morocco, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah was blunt in stating that a lot more work needs to be done to build up the quality of the Sharks.
“Even against the background of multiple challenges, ahead of the Afcon, we still came here with very high hopes and expectations. However, the reality has been blunt, swift, and sobering. We are some way off the heights of the best teams at this Afcon.”
The Black Sharks had only nine days to camp in Keta before departing the Ghanaian capital to Egypt, where an additional 5-hour road trip awaited the traveling contingent from Cairo to the tournament town of Hurghada.
Although the team only had two training sessions before their opening fixture with hosts Egypt, Ampofo Ankrah insists that the valuable lessons and frustrations far outweigh the bad experiences.
“We genuinely believed that we could beat Egypt, but the reality was evident for all to see in a 6-3 loss to the Sand Pharaohs.
This was followed by an ill-tempered clash with Morocco that was almost marred by rough play, strewn with yellow cards and one red card against the Ghanaians.
“There was a lot of frustration out there today. Our boys were pushed to their limits by a very well-drilled team and lost focus, resulting in the cards and goals we conceded. But we’re very proud of them. They all have fascinating personal stories to share when we return to Ghana.”
The Black Sharks are the only team not to have played a pre-Afcon friendly leading up to the tournament; something Ampofo Ankrah believes has come back to haunt them.
“We tried to get at least one big team to play a trial match against but to no avail. I take full responsibility for this because ultimately, the buck stops with the chairman. After I submit my report, I will make the best decision for the team and beach soccer as a whole. So please, please, please give the boys a break. They have been through a lot.”
After losing to Egypt and Morocco, the Black Sharks will conclude their group matches with a battle of pride against East African Champions Tanzania on Tuesday.
EK
