MX23RW : Wednesday, December 11 13:32:16| >> :600:1972890:1972890:

Kwesi Appiah: 'Ghana won't blame the pitch'

Appiah: 'Ghana won't blame the pitch'
© AP Photos
Coach Kwesi Appiah is adamant that his Ghana side will not be blaming the pitch if they lose to Burkina Faso at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Kwesi Appiah has insisted that his Ghana squad will not use the pitch as an excuse if they fail to overcome Burkina Faso in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations tomorrow evening.

The playing surface at the Mbombela Stadium has been heavily criticised throughout the tournament in South Africa for being uneven and dry.

However, coach Appiah has said that although he may change the way that his team plays to accommodate the pitch, neither side can have any complaints because it is the same for both of them.

"Both teams have to play on the same pitch, so it is not an advantage for one or a disadvantage for the other. Both teams have to cope," he told PUMA Football. "As a team we like to play a technical game where we pass the ball and move into more dangerous areas building pressure as we advance up the pitch.

"On a pitch like this, we might have to be more direct, but this group of players can play in a number of different ways and we have trained with different styles so the condition of the pitch is not a problem for us, nor an excuse."

The Black Stars reached the final four of the competition thanks to a 2-0 win over Cape Verde.

ID:67790: cacheID:67790:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2150:
Written by
Liam Apicella
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Asamoah Gyan
Read Next:
Gyan sees World Cup similarities
>
Read more about Kwesi Appiah Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool14112129111835
2Chelsea1594235181731
3Arsenal1585229151429
4Manchester CityMan City158342721627
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest157441918125
6Aston Villa157442323025
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton156632522324
8Bournemouth157352320324
9Brentford157263128323
10Fulham156542220223
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1562731191220
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle155551921-220
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd155461918119
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Everton143561421-714
16Leicester CityLeicester153572130-914
17Crystal Palace152761420-613
18Ipswich TownIpswich151681427-139
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1523102338-159
20Southampton1512121131-205


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!