Hughton urges players to be clinical after narrow win over Angola

Black Stars coach Chris Hughton has urged his team to step up their efforts in front of goal following their profligacy in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Angola in Kumasi on Thursday.

Despite dominating the game for the entire 90 minutes, the Black Stars could only manage to convert one of their 21 goal attempts.

Antoine Semenyo’s stoppage-time strike secured a crucial victory against the Palancas Negras and boosted the team’s chances of qualifying for the tournament in Ivory Coast next year.

However, Hughton believes that his players can do better in the final third to capitalise on the chances created and score more goals.

“We’ve had 11 chances so that’s the first positive. If you told me we played 96 minutes and we only had two or three chances then that’s worrying but the fact that we have had chances you always know, come the next game or next game after, you’re going to put some of them chances away. That’s the only thing we learned is that we need to be a little more clinical when having the opportunities,” Hughton said after the game.

Ghana will honour their next fixture on Monday against the same opponents in Luanda. With seven points, the team will secure a place in the AFCON when they record another win.