Sports News of Thursday, 17 October 2019

Source: goal.com

Burkina Faso's panicking before they face Ghana - Maxwell Konadu

Black Stars B head coach Maxwell Konadu Black Stars B head coach Maxwell Konadu

Ghana coach Maxwell Konadu believes Burkina Faso will be facing a "transformed" side when the two teams meet in the 2020 African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifiers on Friday.

The neighbours are set for a final round second leg showdown in Ouagadougou, the first leg in Kumasi having ended 1-0 in favour of the Stallions last month.

The match also interestingly comes two weeks after the two outfits settled for a 1-1 draw in the quarter-final of the Wafu Cup of Nations in Senegal. Ghana went on to win 5-4 on penalties en route to the final where they lost to the hosts in a shoot-out on Sunday.

“The players were down after losing the Wafu Cup final but they are responding [to encouragement now] and by the time we get to Burkina Faso, the players will be ready," Konadu said, as reported by Citisportsonline.

"It has not been easy because we lost to Burkina Faso in Kumasi and then we got to take them on again in Senegal and beat them on penalties. We now have to face them again in Burkina Faso."

Next year's Chan tournament is in Cameroon.

"We know it will be a physical encounter but we know them now and they will be panicking because the team they faced in Kumasi is not the one they will meet on Friday," Konadu went on.

"We have transformed and they will see that we will play far better than we did in the first leg.

"I am very confident that we will make it to the Chan tournament.”

Ghana are eyeing a return to the continental showpiece for the first time since 2014.

In 2017, the Black Stars were denied a ticket for the 2018 championship by Burkina Faso.

Chan is exclusively reserved for players plying their trade in their local leagues.