Soccer News of Tuesday, 21 January 2014

Source: Sowetanlive

Bafana woes puzzle Ghana skipper

Bafana Bafana have just been knocked out in the group stages of a tournament they are hosting, leaving South Africans to cheer for "BaGhana BaGhana", the adopted Ghanaian team.

Ghana captain Jordan Opoku, whose team face Ethiopia in a Group C decider at 7pm today, could not understand how a league so strong, the richest in Africa, failed to produce a team good enough to do well in the Chan tournaments.

"The PSL is a big league but I don't understand why the national team is not improving or performing," Opoku said.

"The reason we are able to do [well] is that we don't focus too much on the issue of money but on helping the national team achieve. We take pride in that."

The Asante Kotoko midfielder said he and his teammates wanted to prolong their stay in the country so that they can continue to audition for SA scouts and hopefully win lucrative contracts with Premier Soccer League clubs.

At the Free State Stadium, Opoku and company will face an Ethiopian team that has nothing to lose. The 1-1 draw with Libya on Friday has left Group C wide open. Ghana will be without striker Yahaya Mohammed, who is suspended, as well as his frontline partner Sulley Mohammed.

Congo Brazzaville and Libya travelled to Polokwane where they will face off at 7pm today for a place in the quarterfinals.

Libya have proven a tough team to beat in this tournament.