The significance of the Black Stars’ forthcoming international friendlies against Austria and Germany has been emphasised by captain Jordan Ayew, who has insisted that the team is entirely focused on putting up excellent performances as part of preparations for upcoming competitions.
Ghana will play Austria in Vienna on Friday and Germany in Stuttgart on Monday. Both games are anticipated to assess the team’s preparedness against elite European opponents.
Prior to the matches, Ayew emphasised that every chance to serve the nation is important, regardless of the circumstances surrounding squad selection.
“We want to play for our country; we want to do well from our country. So, every game is important. Even though we know these two games are important, even previously the other games were important as well. Just that sometimes it is what it is, you know. Coming to these two games, listen, tomorrow is going to be a tough game, Monday will be a tough game as well. So, we will do our best.”
The striker noted gains in tactical, technical, and physical areas during training in Vienna and voiced confidence in the team’s readiness.
“I think we are preparing well tactically, technically, physically. We really look good. So, let’s see what happens tomorrow. I don’t want to talk too much because obviously we’ve had a couple of days of training and what I’ve seen is positive. So, we’re ready for tomorrow and we’ll see if we can get a positive result because we want to get a positive result. Monday will be a tough game,” he reiterated.
The players are taking the friendlies seriously, Ayew continued, highlighting the team’s resolve to compete at a high level rather than view the games as practice sessions.
“We are going to try to put in our best performance. Obviously, I think we are not here for holidays. We are here to work hard, to perform and to get good results. You know, it will not be easy, but it will also be the best chance to be successful tomorrow. It’s going to be a tough game, a very tough game, because it’s a high-performance team.”
The captain stated that the games are a part of the team’s larger goals as they prepare for important international competitions, such as the FIFA World Cup.
“Going into the World Cup, I think it’s not for me alone but it’s a positive thing for us. As players, we are really looking forward to it, so let’s see how it goes. We have the ambition to come and get good results tomorrow. We are not coming here just for holidays or just to work. We are here to work hard, to perform and to get good results.”
As Ghana continues to hone its preparations against elite opponents, the friendly are anticipated to give the technical team a more accurate evaluation of the team.
Source: newsthemegh.com