[ 2017-01-17 ]

Rahman's AFCON in the balance, says Ghana boss Grant
Ghana head coach Avram Grant stated Baba Rahman's
prospects of playing any further part in the
Africa Cup of Nations are "50-50" after the
left-back suffered an apparent knee injury during
the opening 1-0 Group D win over Uganda.

Rahman, who is on loan with Bundesliga outfit
Schalke from Chelsea, left the field on a
stretcher having twisted the joint awkwardly
shortly after Andre Ayew put the Black Stars in
front from the penalty spot.

Grant saw his side labour for long periods during
the second period and he felt a playing surface
featuring sanded areas that cut up from kick-off
played its part.

"About Baba we need to wait and see, I don't
know," he told a post-match news conference. "It's
50- 50, we will see in the next day what will
happen.

"I am happy for the three points, we can play
better but the result is more important than
everything in a competition like this.

"We missed two or three good opportunities but I
am happy for the win. We can improve our game.
That's what we need in a big tournament.

"It was not easy to play on this pitch. Our game
is to use one or two touches. It was difficult in
the second half to move how we used to move."

Uganda boss Milutin Sredojevic felt his side were
overawed by the occasion during the opening period
and, with the country's first AFCON appearance
since 1978 at risk of slipping away from them, he
conceded some stern words were needed at
half-time.

"I need to say in the first half we had an element
of stage fright," he said. "They scored from one
mistake that is very hard to explain.

"At half-time we have been fully aware that we are
on the big stage. It needed man management and an
awakening of every player, injecting belief inside
them that they could play.

"We played with two, three and then five strikers,
risking everything. It did not go our way.

"I must congratulate Ghana and Avram Grant for
winning - football is about putting the ball in
the net.

"I believe our team has shown that our level of
fitness is enough for this competition but there
are levels of the technical and tactical aspects
that we need to improve in front of the goal."

Source - Goal.com

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