The inquest will begin as to what is really wrong with the local component of the Black Stars after the team failed to qualify for the CHAN tournament for a second successive time.

The current crop was full of promise and after holding Burkina Faso to a 2-2 draw in Ouagadougou, the team was expected to finish off their hard work up north with a convincing win over the local Stallions.

However, that did not go according to script as the Black Stars were stunned at the Baba Yara Stadium losing 2-1 to well-built opponents.

The signs of the upset were clear right from the onset when Sylla Mohammed put Burkina Faso ahead under 8 minutes. The goal was against the run of play after a bright start by Ghana. The goal demoralized the Black Stars and they never got going again in the first department of the game.

The Stallions ran ring around the Ghana midfield which lacked the steel to compete the physical attributes and technique of their opponents. It moved from bad to worse when Nikiema Hermann grabbed the second for the dominant Stallions. They could have ended the game as a contest in the first half but a combination of missed chances and the woodwork kept Ghana alive.

Back from recess, the team made two changes in the opening minutes and that brought the impetus for a Ghana comeback. Elmina Shark’s Felix Addo restored some hope latching onto Winful Cobbinah’s cross to halve the deficit.

And after Isaac Twum had missed a glaring opportunity in the box, the stage was set for effective game management from Burkina Faso who saw off the threat of Ghana and head to Kenya for the 2018 CHAN tournament.

For Ghana, the choice of players and formation will be the topical issue on the airwaves for the coming days as our wait for a CHAN title is slowly becoming similar to our wait for an AFCON title.

 

67' A big hurdle for tge stars to make it to Kenya but that Felix Addo gives Ghana a lifeline. 1-2 #CHANQUALIFIER pic.twitter.com/1J7qM5RaIC

— Ghana Premier League (@GHPLLive) August 20, 2017