Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac
Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac admits his team faced difficulties during the second half of their 3-1 home win over Zimbabwe in the 2022 World Cup qualifier on Saturday.
The Black Stars held their own to secure full points in the Group G matchday three tie, thanks to goals from Mohammed Kudus, Thomas Teye Partey and Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew.
At a point after the break, the score read 1-1 after Knowledge Musona converted a penalty to cancel out Kudus’ first-half opener.
“It was a good day after the result we got. We started the game well but later in the match we had some problems, especially in some part of the second half,” Rajevac, who was supervising his first game since making a return to the Black Stars, said after the game.
“We conceded a goal but I managed to identify some of the problems and made the right substitutions, so we came back and won.
“We were lucky at some moments of the match but the most important thing is that we got three points and our hard work paid off.
“We faced some difficulties in the second half because it was so difficult to defend the second balls, that’s why I introduced Baba Iddrisu to solidify the defence.”
Kudus broke the deadlock for Ghana in the fifth minute, striking a shot from just outside the box after a neat exchange with Jordan Ayew.
Shortly after the interval, Zimbabwe found a way back into the game from the spot as Musona slotted home from 12 yards, Alexander Djiku having tripped his marker in the box.
The visitors almost went ahead afterwards as Ghana goalkeeper Jojo Wallocot was called to make a point-blank save and a shot came off the bar at separate times.
In the 66th minute, Partey restored the Black Stars’ lead, dispossessing his man before driving into the box to shoot low into the net.
Three minutes to full-time, Ayew sealed the win, heading home from a Baba Rahman cross.
The West Africans, who sit second on the table below South Africa, are set to play as guests of The Warriors in a reverse fixture on Tuesday.