2023 AFCON: Richard Ofori Has Disgraced Us—Sonnie Badu
Sonnie Badu expressed his fury on Facebook, demanding the immediate dismissal of Richard Ofori and the entire goalkeeping staff after Ghana’s elimination by Mozambique in the ongoing AFCON tournament.
Ofori’s costly mistake in the final minutes of the match, with Ghana leading 2-1, ultimately led to disaster as the Mozambicans equalized and put the Black Stars on the blink of elimination.
Sonnie Badu, a devoted supporter of the Black Stars, shared his disappointment, echoing the sentiments of many Ghanaians who have expressed extreme anger towards the entire team on social media.
The UK-based Ghanaian musician and preacher couldn’t comprehend why Ofori, who is the third-choice goalkeeper at his club, the Orlando Pirates and rarely plays, was selected to captain Ghana over Lawrence Ati-Zigi and Jojo Wollacott. Sonnie emphasized that Ofori lacks mental alertness and sharpness, and it was these deficiencies that ultimately cost Ghana.
He strongly believes that Ofori has brought disgrace upon the entire country and should not be called back to the team again. Ghana’s hopes of progressing in AFCON 2023 were effectively shattered when they squandered a two-goal lead in stoppage time against Mozambique on Monday.
Jordan Ayew wasted no time in breaking the deadlock, converting a penalty just 15 minutes into the game after Mozambique’s Infren Nanani fouled Joseph Paintsil in the box. Despite this early advantage for the Black Stars, the first half remained a closely contested affair.
The Mambas came out strong in the second half, desperately seeking an equalizer. They came close to levelling the score within five minutes of the restart, but Ghana’s goalkeeper, Richard Ofori, made a crucial save to deny Bruno Langa.
In the 67th minute, disaster struck Mozambique as Reinildo Mandava handled Mohammed Kudus’ goal-bound shot inside the box, resulting in a second penalty for Ghana. Jordan Ayew stepped up once again and confidently converted the spot-kick, doubling his team’s lead.
With only a few minutes left on the clock and Ghana seemingly on their way to victory, Andre Ayew unintentionally handled the ball inside the box, giving Mozambique a lifeline. Geny Catamo capitalized on the resulting penalty, pulling one back for his team in the 91st minute.
Just three minutes later, Reinildo redeemed himself by heading into Shaquille Momad Nangy’s corner, completing a dramatic turnaround for Chris Hughton’s side.
Despite their efforts, Ghana exits the tournament with two points from three games and a goal difference of minus one. They now await the fate of other third-placed teams to determine their final standing.
Sonnie Badu shared his opinion, as contained in the video captioning it:
I think the goalkeeping staff should resign this is very embarrassing… RICHARD KINGSTON are you telling us that OFORI was shaper in training then Atizigi? When will politics stop in African football? Is this GHANA? For the first time, I was quite on my seat when we scored, because when it comes to the Blackstars you have to wait for the final whistle…
