Why Ghana crumbled: Black Galaxies coach Didi Dramani explains CHAN defeat to Nigeria

Ghana’s Black Galaxies Head Coach, Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, has shed light on why Nigeria emerged victorious in their African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier on Saturday night, Soccernet.ng reports. 

Dramani acknowledged the superiority of the Super Eagles B, who secured a convincing 3-1 victory at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, to clinch a spot in the 2024 CHAN tournament.

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The encounter came on the heels of a goalless first-leg stalemate in Accra, which had left the tie delicately poised.

Dramani, confident upon arriving in Nigeria on Friday, hoped to replicate Ghana’s 2022 World Cup qualification success over their fierce rivals.

However, the Ghanaians were undone by an electrifying first-half display from Daniel Ogunmodede’s side.

Sodiq Akinola Ismaila opened the scoring in the 18th minute, setting the tone for Nigeria’s dominance. Three minutes later, Junior Harrison Nduka doubled the lead with a firm finish after a goalmouth scramble.

Saviour Johnson Isaac added a third in the 25th minute, leaving the Black Galaxies stunned and trailing 3-0 by halftime.

Ghana managed to pull one back through Amankona Stephen in the 74th minute, but it was little more than a consolation as Nigeria celebrated a resounding win.

Speaking after the match, a visibly disappointed Dramani admitted Nigeria’s greater hunger and determination were decisive.

“Nigeria showed much more hunger and did a lot of running. We gave away some key moments in the game, which turned out to be disastrous for us,” Dramani confessed.

“After the first goal, the second can drain the strength and energy of a team because of the manner it was scored — not to mention the third goal. At that point, any team could lose its steam.”

The defeat further compounds Ghana’s football struggles, with the team also missing out on the 2025 AFCON.

Dramani, however, described these setbacks as part of a “transitional phase.”

“These are lessons learned in good faith,” he noted. “We don’t like failure, but sometimes failure brings a moment to reflect and then bounce back in the right way.”

Dramani also called on CAF to reconsider its competition formats, arguing that frequent clashes between West African powerhouses like Nigeria and Ghana during qualifiers deprive the continent of stronger representation at major tournaments.

“Nigeria and Ghana meeting at this stage is an issue CAF must address. It’s important for the body to critically examine this and come up with a format that ensures the best for the continent,” he urged.

While Nigeria missed out on the last two CHAN tournaments, their qualification this time marks a return to the stage where they reached the final in 2018.

The 2024 edition, delayed to 2025, will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.