Former Ghana striker Prince Tagoe has told Footy-Africa that Carlos Queiroz‘s second-half substitutions made the difference in Ghana’s 1-0 victory over Panama, saying the Black Stars coach won the game from the bench.
Caleb Yirenkyi scored the winning goal in stoppage time after fellow substitute Brandon Thomas-Asante raced down the left and set him up, giving Ghana all three points in their opening Group L match.
“Ghana won the game from the bench,” Tagoe, who played at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, exclusively told Footy-Africa.
“Carlos Queiroz made the right changes. He saw that things were not working in the first half and he changed the game. That’s what good coaches do.”
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Tagoe admitted Ghana were below their best before the break but said the team improved after the substitutions.
“We didn’t play well in the first half. Panama made it difficult for us. But after the changes, we controlled the game and looked much better.”
The former striker praised the players who came off the bench.
“Caleb Yirenkyi scored the winner, but Brandon Thomas-Asante also did very well. His run and assist were excellent.”
“Fatawu Issahaku also made a big difference. He brought energy, pace and attacked the defenders. Those three players helped us win the game.”
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Ghana will now turn their attention to England, who opened their World Cup campaign with a 4-2 win over Croatia.
Tagoe believes the Black Stars can take confidence from the Panama victory but says they must improve.
“England are a very good team. We have to play much better than we did in the first half against Panama. This win gives the players confidence. It also shows that the coach has good players on the bench who can change a game. That will be important in the next matches.”
