Ghana Black Galaxies Head Coach, Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, has admitted the Super Eagles B’s superiority over Ghana following their 1-3 loss in the second leg of the final qualifying match on Saturday.
Following the disappointment from the result, Dramani appeared dejected, admitting Nigeria’s hunger and determination were decisive.
“Every coach will feel disappointed, but the result remains what it is,” Dramani began during the post-match press conference when asked about his feelings after the loss.
“Nigeria showed much more hunger and did a lot of running. We gave away some key moments in the game, which turned out to be disastrous for us.
“After the first goal, the second can drain the strength and energy of a team because of the manner it was scored — not to mention the third goal. At that point, any team could lose its steam. I think Nigeria showed a lot more hunger to get the win, especially in the first half,” Dramani admitted.
The defeat means Ghana will miss the 2025 CHAN, just as they failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
When asked if Ghanaian football is in turmoil, Dramani instead described it as a ‘transitional phase.’
“Every team or country goes through some transitional phase,” he said solemnly. “I think we’re currently in that phase.
“These are lessons learned in good faith. We don’t like failure, but sometimes failure brings a moment to reflect and then bounce back in the right way.”
Nigeria and Ghana, two West African football powerhouses, often meet in the qualifying stages of major African competitions, with one inevitably being eliminated.
When asked if this arrangement deprives the sub-region of quality representation or denies the continent one of its best teams in major tournaments, Dramani urged CAF to re-evaluate its competition formats.
“I think that’s one of the key issues CAF has to address. It’s important for the body to critically examine this and come up with a format that ensures the best for the continent,” Dramani concluded.
