The Gambia head coach Jonathan McKinstry says his technical team noticed signs of frustration and disagreement among Ghana’s players during Tuesday’s 4-2 defeat at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Scorpions came from two goals down to stun the Black Stars, a result that leaves Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations hanging in the balance.

McKinstry claims his team detected tension among some Ghana players as they headed into the dressing room at halftime, with the situation becoming a talking point during the interval.

According to the Gambia coach, his technical team believed the apparent disruption could work in their favour and encouraged the players to exploit it in the second half.

“In terms of the rhythm of the game, our second goal changed the emotion of the game. We could notice that a few of the Black Stars players were unhappy with each other,” McKinstry said.

“We spoke about that at halftime. Even as they were coming into the dressing room, something stronger than strong words were being said among the Ghana players, so we knew there was disruption there.”

The Gambia went on to complete a remarkable comeback in the second half, securing a 4-2 victory and moving to the top of Group C with six points from two matches.

Ghana, meanwhile, remain bottom of the group without a point after defeats to Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, leaving Carlos Queiroz and the Black Stars facing a difficult road to qualification.