Sports News of Saturday, 14 October 2017

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

Complacency cost Ghana 2018 World Cup ticket - Kojo Addae-Mensah

The Databank CEO says Ghana didn't work hard to qualify for the 2018 World Cup The Databank CEO says Ghana didn't work hard to qualify for the 2018 World Cup

Chief Executive Officer of Databank Kojo Addae-Mensah has attributed Ghana's failure to qualify for the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup to complacency.

Ghana, who are four-time African champions failed to qualify for their fourth successive global football mundial after an underwhelming qualification campaign which sees them occupying third place in Group E of the African World Cup qualifiers, with Egypt securing the only available slot.

"One word for Ghana’s 2018 World Cup exit is complacency. As a country we had become complacent about this whole Word Cup thing, because having made it to the past three World Cups, we thought qualification wasn’t a big deal," Kojo Addae-Mensah stated on GHONE.

“Cast your mind back to 2004 where the qualifiers for the 2016 World Cup qualifiers had started, as a nation we were totally behind whatever it takes to be at our first World Cup because we were tired of our junior achievement at the World stage."

He continued, “2010 World Cup was the first time the World Cup was coming to Africa, it also again inspired us because there was no complacency there could be issues during that time but we didn’t want to leave any stone unturned likewise the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

“But the euphoria for qualifying to Russia died down because there wasn’t any zeal especially when many of these players having been to the past two World Cup Cups, ” Addae Mensah concluded.