GoldStars Coach Frimpong Manso Keeps Faith Despite First-Leg Defeat
Bibiani GoldStars head coach Frimpong Manso has expressed cautious optimism about his side’s chances in the CAF Champions League preliminary round despite a difficult start against Algerian giants JS Kabylie.
The Ghana Premier League champions fell 2-0 at the Accra Sports Stadium in the first leg of the tie on Saturday, leaving their qualification hopes under pressure ahead of next week’s return fixture.
Speaking after the match, Manso insisted the contest is not yet over, stressing that his team must learn from their errors and produce a much-improved performance in Algeria.
“No [it’s not over yet, now we’ve lost the first leg, yes, and this is the first leg. Next week we go to [Algerian for] the second leg. Yes, it’s a tall order, but we’ll see if we’re able to correct most of the mistakes we made, I think we’ll do well in the second leg,” he told reporters.
GoldStars conceded a goal in each half, with Medhi Merghem and Babacar Sarr on target for the visitors. Despite the setback, the Ghanaian champions believe all is not lost as they prepare for the decisive clash in North Africa.
The second leg will determine who advances to the second preliminary round, where the winner will face either East End Lions of Sierra Leone or Tunisia’s US Monastir.
