Former Ghanaian defender, Daniel Opare has condemned the vehement criticisms aimed at goalkeeper Richard Ofori after he committed a blunder during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

One incident from the 2023 AFCON that remains unforgettable in the minds of Ghanaians is Ofori’s goalkeeping error, which led to the corner kick that allowed Mozambique to score their second goal in the dying minutes of their final Group B game against the Black Stars on Monday, January 22, 2024.

During the game, the opposing player headed the ball from the left side of the penalty box, and Ofori attempted to catch it with his left hand but ended up palming it into his own net.

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This infuriated Ghanaians, who directed their anger at the AmaZulu goalkeeper, eventually leading to his omission from subsequent squad call-ups.

Reacting to this, Opare described the criticisms as unfair, arguing that mistakes are part of football and that Ofori should not have been subjected to such abuse.

“Sometimes anybody can have a bad day at the office; it happens. When we look at Richard Ofori, I think we were a little too harsh on him. Mistakes happen, this is football.”

“But here in Ghana, when mistakes happen, we don’t forgive. We should forgive. He has the talent. He can do well. We should encourage him rather than break him,” he told 3Sports.

SB/JE

Watch the latest episode of Sports Check with ex-Black Stars forward Augustine Ahinful