Opening matches should come with a health warning for the host nation but Ghana avoided any embarrassment after Asamoah Gyan’s penalty put them into the lead, with Muntari’s 25-yard left footer ensuring the three points after Oumer Kalabane’s equaliser.
Ghana manager Claude Le Roy, who guided Cameroon to the 1988 title, could not hide his delight at getting Ghana’s title bid up and running, but he was wary of his players succumbing to the ‘Brazil syndrome’.
“Sometimes we can play great games against the likes of Brazil or Nigeria but then lose concentration against other sides,” said the Frenchman.
Flying start: Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan (right) challenges for the ball with Guinea's Oumar Kalabane during their African Cup of Nations match in Accra on Sunday. Ghana won 2-1. – AP “We’ve got to be humble now and prepare for our second game against Namibia.”
LeRoy knows though that barring a slip-up against the Group A underdogs, Ghana are already sitting pretty to qualify for the quarter-finals.
“It’s a long way to Feb 10 (the final), but I’m proud of our performance and I think we can play better even if today we showed good quality,” said Le Roy.
“The first thing I said to the players afterwards was: ‘Get ready to forget this game and concentrate on the next one (against Namibia on Thursday)’.
“We knew it was important to win this opening game, to get three points on the board. For us it’s a great day, as it wasn’t easy.”
Ghana had a hatful of chances in the first-half, three times hitting the woodwork and they also had a goal disallowed but after LeRoy’s half-time team talk, they came out with renewed purpose.
And it paid dividends as Gyan, who was allowed to play despite being sent off in Ghana’s last competitive match against Brazil in the second round of the 2006 World Cup, scored from the spot.
Barely had the celebrations begun when Kalabane, the culprit for the penalty, levelled before Muntari worked his magic with his long-range super strike.
The Portsmouth midfielder said: “I can’t describe how I felt scoring the winning goal.
“I came close before then but I kept trying till it went in! It’s too early though to say whether we will go on to be champions.”
His Premiership colleague, Chelsea’s Michael Essien added: “It’s a good start for us.
“The game was very difficult, Guinea are a good side, they have some quality players. We’re happy we won though, this will help our confidence.”
Guinea now face an uphill struggle to qualify for the knockout stages, but the coach of the 2004 and 2006 quarter-finalists is by no means losing heart.
Their coach, Robert Nouzaret, a compatriot of LeRoy’s, said: “Guinea played at a level which wasn’t recognisable with how we can play.
“I’m not too discouraged, we can’t play as badly as that two matches running.
“In our second match we’ll show our true ability. The game against Morocco (also on Thursday) will be decisive.”
While Guinea were left ruing what might have been, Muntari and the rest of the Black Stars ensured that Ghana’s hopes of lifting a record-equalling fifth title are still bang on track. – AFP
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