Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan has indicated that the team is eager to get in the good books of Ghanaians with a victory against the Cranes of Uganda in their 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifier at the Baba Yara Stadium at the weekend.
Kumasi, which has been the home ground of the Black Stars in recent years due to the massive support they enjoy there, has been in a sombre and indifferent mood ahead of the game due to circumstances that led to the team’s early exit from the World Cup in Brazil.
According to Gyan, the fans who have been loyal to the team over the years deserve better.
“We accept the reaction of the fans for our disappointing performance in Brazil and I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to them because they have been behind the team all this while.
“What we have to do now is to win back their support by winning the two upcoming games and we will have a couple of meetings to draw out a strategy for Saturdays game,”he said.
Gyan also stepped in to avert a situation that could have escalated when a number of fans present at the team’s first training session turned on the players with cat calls and other obscenities to register their displeasure with the recent happenings in the team.
He explained to the supporters that rejecting and abusing the players would only deepen the troubles of the team and instead pleaded with them for patience to turn the situation around.
“The abusive words that are used on players by fans at the stadium is unfortunate because some players cant handle such situations.
I heard a couple of names and some things being said and didn’t like it so i went over to the fans and appealed to them and then offered them an apology for our performance and i made them understand that this is when we need the support of the fans.
“They agreed and apologized for their abusive words after which they cheered the players on so it looks like they are ok for now so its up to the players to do our part,” he said in an interview with spokesperson of the Ghana Football Association Ibrahim Saani Daara.
Gyan says he is aware that the path to redeeming their image begins against the Cranes and as a result cannot afford to falter.
Meanwhile the East Africans are expected in Accra by Friday, a full day ahead of the game in Kumasi.
By: Benjamin Nketsia/citifmonline.com/Ghana