Injury Blow for Ghana as Black Stars Fall to the Netherlands in Pre-World Cup Friendly
Ghana’s World Cup preparations took a significant hit on Saturday as the Black Stars not only lost 1-0 to the Netherlands in a friendly held in Rotterdam, but also suffered a devastating injury to key defender Jerry Akaminko.
The match, intended as a warm-up ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, turned sour late in the game when Akaminko suffered a serious injury. Medical examinations later confirmed that the centre-back had fractured his left ankle and would require surgery. He is expected to be sidelined for at least three months, ruling him out of the tournament.
This is a major setback for coach James Kwesi Appiah, who had trusted Akaminko to play a key role in his defensive lineup in Brazil. His absence now forces a rethink in Ghana’s backline just days before their opening match in a difficult group featuring Germany, Portugal, and the USA.
On the pitch, the Netherlands dominated early proceedings and found the net in the fifth minute through Robin van Persie. The Manchester United striker finished a slick passing move involving Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben, giving the Dutch a lead they maintained until full time.
Ghana, who began the game with what resembled a reserve lineup, struggled to impose themselves. Jordan Ayew, handed a starting role up front, failed to make an impact. However, substitute goalkeeper Adam Larsen Kwarasey impressed with a series of saves that kept the margin to a single goal, denying the Dutch attack on multiple occasions.
Despite a second-half improvement, Ghana never truly threatened an equaliser and were fortunate the scoreline wasn’t more severe, with Dutch forwards guilty of wastefulness in front of goal.
Ghana’s starting XI in Rotterdam:
Kwarasey – Inkoom, Schlupp, Sumaila, Akaminko – Rabiu, Adomah, Essien (capt.), Jordan Ayew, Atsu, Kwadwo Asamoah
The team will now look to regroup quickly, both tactically and mentally, as they prepare for their next fixture and finalise the squad for Brazil without Akaminko. With expectations high back home, the pressure is on Appiah to find solutions and restore confidence in his squad following the double blow in Rotterdam.
