The Black Stars were held to a frustrating goalless draw in their Group E AFCON qualifier against Madagascar at Mahamasina Municipal Stadium on June 18, 2023.

Ghana, who needed a win to seal their qualification for the 2023 AFCON, put up an uninspiring performance and would need to avoid a defeat in their last game to qualifier for the tournament, which will be hosted by Ivory Coast.

Chris Hughton's charges looked disorganized and could not dominate the bottom-placed team in the group as they struggled to create decent chances to win the game.

There were not many exceptional individual performances as the whole squad was lackadaisical on the night.

Here are the players' ratings after the game:

Lawrence Ati-Zigi - 6

The goalkeeper did not face many tests in the game but came to Ghana's rescue in the second half, palming away a goal-bound effort that took an awkward bounce.

Generally, he commanded his area and gave Ghana surety in post.


Denis Odoi - 4

Club Brugge right-back, Denis Odoi, struggled throughout the game. He barely contributed to the attack and also could not handle Madagascar's Dorian Bertrand on the flank.

Jospeh Aidoo - 6

Joseph Aidoo looked descent among the back four. He made good recoveries and some important interceptions in dangerous areas. He always showed up for build-up and progressed the ball well when need be.


Daniel Amartey - 5.5

Daniel Amartey made a good partnership with Aidoo and held the backline well but the former Leicester City defender gave the ball away a couple of times and almost cost the team.


Patrick Kpozo - 6.5

Sherif-Tiraspol left-back, Patrick Kpozo, made his Black Stars debut and had a good game on a difficult night. He made good recoveries and combined well with Kamaldeen and later Nuamah on the wings.

He ended the game with the most tackles in the match, 3.

Abdul Salis Samed - 6.5

Abdul Salis Samed did not do much defensive work because Ghana had the majority of possession. However, he could not impact the game with more progressive passes and find the right openings.

Thomas Partey - 7

Thoams Partey was the best player in the team although he did not have the usual top performance by his standard.

He created the most chances, had the most shots on target, and the most touches.

Jospeh Paintsil- 4

The Genk winger was off-colour. He could not take on his maker, had poor deliveries, and ballooned two decent rebounds.

Kamaldeen Sulemana - 6

Kamaldeen Suleman showcased his dribbling abilities and gave the team an outlet on the flanks but his decision-making - when to dribble or shoot eclipsed what would have been a good night for him.

Dede Ayew- 5

Black Stars skipper Andre Dede Ayew was poor on the night. Playing behind the striker, he did not offer the midfield passing option, lost the ball often, and also looked lost on the pitch.

Jordan Ayew - 4

Jordan Ayew led the attack for Ghana and could not impose himself on the Madagascar defense. He made no attempts in opening up the defense with runs and was poor in his positioning. The Crystal Palace forward had zero attempts on goal.

He was also the set-piece and failed to help the team make the most out of set-pieces with abysmal deliveries. He made one successful cross out of nine crosses.


Ernest Nuamah - 6

Ernest Nuamah replaced Kamaldeen in the 60th minute for his debut. The 19-year-old showed flashes of becoming a key member of the team.

His pace, ball retention, dribbling ability, and short passing combinations to beat the press were all on display.

Kudus Mohammed - 5

Mohammed Kudus injected life into the Black Stars attack. His good reading of the game and positioning helped Ghana transition quicker in attacking areas and he had a good effort on goal but could not hit the target.

Osman Bukari - 5

Bukari, just like Nuamah and Kudus, lightened up the attack, but the Red Star Belgrade man could have won it at the death for Ghana when he was set up by Partey. He decided to take on his marker in the box and lost possession in a good shooting area.



EE/FNOQ