Niger 1-1 Ghana: Five things we learned

The Black Stars recorded another disappointing result in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers when they gave away a 1-0 lead to Niger at the Stade Municipal de Berkane in Morocco.

The former African champions were coming from a narrow home defeat to Angola last Thursday and needed to redeem themselves against the Nigeriens.

However, Alidu Seidu’s first-half goal was cancelled out with 10 minutes to go leaving Ghana with just a point out of a possible six.

It was a normal dominant performance which did not entirely reflect the result but these are five things we learned from the game.

Partey – Ashimeru partnership

Thomas Partey and Majeed Ashimeru’s partnership seems to be the ideal way to go. The duo buttressed each other with their skill set. While Partey maintained composure by shielding the back four he complimented Ashimeru’s forward runs with great passes. Unfortunately, that did not work with Elisha Owusu when he replaced Ashimeru and Ghana eventually conceded

Chance creation a major problem

Ghana are gradually getting back to posses football the better but it will yield no results if they fail to create meaningful chances.

The team failed to create from the middle and relied on individual brilliance and set pieces to knock on the doors of Niger. Maybe it is about time the technical team searches for a profile that matches the missing piece.

Ineffective flanks 

The wingers in the game did little to impact the attack underscoring the importance of Enerst Nuamah and Osman Bukari who were both not in the squad for the games. Issahaku has impressed in recent times on the flanks but was a mere passenger against Niger while Semenyo gave more reasons why he sometimes needs to warm the bench especially if the available role for him is only the wings.

Otto Addo’s possessive football beautiful

Otto Addo’s coaching philosophy has become evident after six games, characterised by possession-based football and positional flexibility among players. This approach, reminiscent of Ghana’s traditional playing style, has been absent for a while, with the last notable instance being under Kwesi Appiah’s leadership.

Winning back the fans’ affection requires a return to this proactive brand of football, but ultimately, it must translate to tangible results and success on the pitch.

Concession rampant uder Otto Addo

Although Otto Addo’s attacking style of play shows promise, it’s being undermined by the team’s persistent defensive struggles, particularly in the final stages of games.

Under Addo’s leadership, the Black Stars have conceded goals in all six matches, highlighting a long-standing defensive vulnerability that urgently needs to be addressed.

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