The score may have read 2-0 at full time, but Ghana midfielder Andre Ayew admits the win wasn’t easy.
The Black Stars proved too strong for their island visitors in the Fifa 2018 World Cup second leg qualifier on Tuesday, but it was clearly experience that did the trick.
The game, played at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, the country’s second city, needed goals in each half to settle the tie. “We hope to build on this victory and get more victories in our subsequent games so we can qualify to the World Cup,” the winger said.
Goals from Mubarak Wakaso and Jordan Ayew made the win sure, but Comoros were gritty from pole to podium and garnered the respect of all who saw the game.
“I’m very happy that we won this game. It was a difficult game but in the end, we were able to secure the most important thing by winning this match,” he told reporters after the game.
The Ghana vice-captain, who had initial given his team fears of not playing following a heavily bandaged knee on Saturday, again put in a matured shift.
But he would know that bringing the style back into Ghana’s play must be done soon, for fans are worried about how the 177-ranked opponent managed a spirited 0-0 draw and almost repeated the dose.
Emmanuel Agyemang Badu, also key in the game, agrees. They came with a particular strategy to always ensure they had more men behind the ball. So it made it difficult for us to give penetrating passes.”
The Udinese man went on: “So we had to resort to using the flanks to get what we were looking for. They are a very good side.”
Ghana will join 19 other winners from the second round in the group stages which will pit four teams in five groups with the winners automatically qualifying for the 2018 Fifa World Cup that will be held in Russia.