Some Black Stars players lack commitment – Ibrahim Tanko

Assistant coach Ibrahim Tanko has accused some Black Stars players of displaying a bad attitude as they succumbed to their first defeat in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at Kenya.

The Black Stars were beaten 1-0 by the Harambee Stars – who were without captain Victor Wanyama and also played 28 minutes of the second half a man down – in Nairobi on Saturday.

The only goal of the game came in the 39th-minute courtesy Udinese defender Nicholas Opoku, who put the ball in his own net.

And while Kenyans are celebrating a result that last occurred 15 years ago, Tanko was bitter and baffled by the manner of the defeat.

“Honestly speaking, I am very disappointed in some[of the players] because they play like there is nothing at stake and if you saw the body language it is very very bad,” Tanko told Joy FM.

“We have to think twice and we have to let them know that the national team is not for a few people. Everyone has to show that he wants to stay in every game.”

“The national team is for all Ghanaians so if you think you can come and do what you want and go and expect us to call you again, there is nothing like that.”

“We saw the training and believed that if we came here they are going to give all their best but it’s not the case.”

“We will monitor all of them. There is no one who has a position in the national team now. Nobody can tell me that he has to come always so if you play very good in your club and we think that you can help and maybe we have to try someone that is okay for us.

But I think that they have to know that this is a national team and is not a club that some few can decide to play what they want.”

The defeat and Ethiopia’s slim victory over Sierra Leone have blown the Group F wide open with all four countries on three points with four games remaining.

The winner and runner-up will secure places at the 2019 Nations Cup finals.