Ghana captain Gideon Mensah admitted full responsibility after the Black Stars lost 4-2 to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday. The defeat leaves Ghana without a point from their first two Group C qualifiers in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
Mensah, who was the team’s left-back and captain on the night, said nothing worked for Ghana. He took ownership of his role in the loss, including conceding a penalty that allowed The Gambia to come back into the match and losing possession before their third goal.
“Today was one of those days when nothing worked for us. As captain, I also take responsibility for the defeat,” Mensah said.
The Black Stars had started the match well but fell apart after The Gambia scored the penalty. Ghana’s defence struggled to contain the visitors, who eventually scored four goals. The Black Stars managed two late goals but could not avoid defeat.
Mensah asked the public to consider the state of the squad. Several key players withdrew from the camp, forcing coach Otto Addo to bring in many new faces. The captain said this affected the team’s mentality and performance.
“We can’t hide from the fact that there are so many new players in the team, and being a new player means mentality and a lot of things. These are things that don’t come overnight. It takes time for new players to get these things,” he said.
Despite the setback, Mensah praised those players who accepted their call-ups amid difficult circumstances. He said their willingness to represent the country should be appreciated.
“We need to appreciate the players for not hiding and coming out to represent the nation after the withdrawals,” Mensah added.
The loss follows Ghana’s 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké, leaving the Black Stars at the bottom of Group C with zero points after two matches. The team will have to regroup quickly to keep their hopes of reaching the 2027 AFCON alive.
Mensah’s admission reflects a squad still finding its rhythm under challenging conditions. The gap left by absent senior players has put pressure on newcomers to adjust quickly. Ghana’s next qualifiers will test how well the team can recover from this rocky start.
According to Joy Online.
