Africa Sports

Laryea Kingston explains why Semenyo, Kudus, others struggle when they play for Ghana

Legendary Ghanaian footballer Laryea Kingston has cited the pitch at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium as a determining factor in the defeat suffered by the Black Stars in the game against Angola on Thursday, September 5, 2024.

A late goal from Angola’s Felicio Milson handed the Black Stars their first defeat at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in over two decades.

The goal was made possible by a poor clearance from Ghanaian center-back Abdul Mumin, who could not effectively deal with a cross.

Reacting to the game, Laryea Kingston mentioned that the state of the pitch contributed significantly to the outcome of the match.

Laryea Kingston said that with Ghana setting out to build up play from the back and not using long balls, the terrible state of the pitch affected ball progression.

The former Black Stars winger noted that the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo are unable to replicate their club form for the national team because of the bad pitches in the country.

“Football has changed. Previously, we could launch long balls and get results, but now the game has changed. Now teams and coaches have advanced; teams are able to deal with long balls. People might say that we previously got results from playing on these same bad pitches, but we should know the style of play is different. The more you put the ball on the ground, the more advantage you have as a team.

“If you look at the goal we conceded, the ball was not on the ground. They whipped in a cross from the wide area, and I have no doubt that if the ball was on the ground, Mumin would have stood and cleared the ball.

“Look at Kudus at West Ham and Semenyo at Bournemouth. They perform fantastically for their clubs, but when they come here, they struggle because of the poor quality of our pitches,” he said.

The Black Stars have meanwhile arrived in Morocco to continue preparation for their second game of the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, which is against Niger.

The team will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they play Niger on Monday, September 9, 2024.

 

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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