Former Ghana international Laryea Kingston has weighed in on the debate about the impact of pitch conditions on Ghana’s recent 1-0 defeat to Angola in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Kingston responded to arguments suggesting that since Ghana has previously won games on similar pitches, they should be able to win on these pitches again. He pointed out that football conditions have evolved, and the state of the pitch plays a crucial role in performance.
The only goal of the match resulted from a poor clearance by Abdul Mumin.
The Rayo Vallecano central defender got his feet stuck in the ground, allowing Milson to score in the 93rd minute, securing a 1-0 victory for the Palancas Negras at Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Thursday.
"For me, I know people will say we previously played on the same pitch and got results. I want them to know that football has changed... We want to have the ball on the ground, and we want fast pitches," he told Joy Sports.
"The players who played the game last weekend [for their various clubs]... when they come here, they struggle because of the pitch."
Ghana will hope to bounce back against Niger on Monday in their second AFCON qualifier.