Ghana has not been aided to lift trophy - Le Roy

Accra, Feb 4, GNA - Ghana's coach, Claude Le Roy says for the first time in many years, a host nation would not be aided to win the African Nations Cup.

Ghana qualified to the semi-finals of the biennial championship after beating Nigeria on Sunday and the French trainer insisted that everything that the team had gone through so far indicated that the Black Stars were not being aided for glory.

"For the first time in many years, it is clear that the host is not being aided to win the Nations Cup like it happened previously," Le Roy said this at a media encounter on Monday.

Le Roy said the Black Stars had taken their destiny into their own hands and worked hard to this point and winning the 'holy grill' would be rewarding for the team that had defied the odds to reach the last four.

He said John Mensah's red card in the match against Nigeria and the penalty that gave the Super Eagles the lead were all clear indications that hard work had been the secret behind Black Stars' success in the tourney.

Ghana is chasing a fifth Nations Cup trophy that would equal the Cup holders, Egypt's record and the trainer said; "at least for the first time, no one can say that the host nation has been favoured to win the trophy when we become victorious on February 10".

"That was different two years ago but the same cannot be said today because we have been treated just as any of the 15 teams."

Le Roy said the only thing that made the Stars to get the feeling of playing at home was the support of the fans that had stayed behind them up to this point.

Ghana plays either Cameroon or Tunisia at the next stage of the tourney on Thursday.