AFCON: Ghana players face backlash from furious journalists as police intervene
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Ghana’s national team faced a wave of boos and jeers from Ghanaian journalists as they left the Alassane Ouattara Stadium. The team squandered a two-goal lead and ended up drawing with Mozambique in a crucial AFCON group game. This disappointing result puts the Black Stars on the brink of being eliminated from the tournament. Initially, Ghana held a 2-0 advantage thanks to two penalty goals from Jordan Ayew. However, Mozambique managed to score two stoppage-time goals – one from Geny Catamo and the other from Reinildo Mandava – salvaging the game and securing a draw. Criticism was aimed at Ghanaian goalkeeper Richard Ofori, who needlessly palmed a ball out of play, resulting in a corner kick that led to Mozambique’s equalizer. With only two points in the group stage, Ghana’s chances of advancing to the knockout stage are slim, as they would need to qualify as one of the four best third-place finishers. The media response to this disappointing performance was furious, and journalists expressed their dissatisfaction by hooting at the players from the mix-zone area. Many Ghanaian players were visibly disappointed, bowing their heads in shame as they left the stadium without answering any questions. CAF security decided to call for additional assistance to handle the situation. The media demanded to meet the team and expressed their intention to stay until they had the opportunity to do so. They made it clear that they would not tolerate such embarrassment and wastage from the national team again. The police were called to diffuse the tense atmosphere, while the media insisted on receiving answers for what they had witnessed.
A video posted by journalist Saddick Adams revealed the media waiting in the mixed zone to speak to the players and coaches after the game. However, they were reportedly not given the opportunity to do so, which ignited widespread outrage. Adams expressed the frustration felt by the Ghanaian media, emphasizing that they would find a way to confront the team if they refused to engage. The situation escalated further when armed police arrived to control the raucous scene caused by the angry journalists.
