Africa Cup of Nations

Kwesi Appiah: 'Ghana won't blame the pitch'

By Liam Apicella, Features Editor | 05 February 2013

Coach Kwesi Appiah is adamant that his Ghana side will not be blaming the pitch if they lose to Burkina Faso at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Kwesi Appiah has insisted that his Ghana squad will not use the pitch as an excuse if they fail to overcome Burkina Faso in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations tomorrow evening.

The playing surface at the Mbombela Stadium has been heavily criticised throughout the tournament in South Africa for being uneven and dry.

However, coach Appiah has said that although he may change the way that his team plays to accommodate the pitch, neither side can have any complaints because it is the same for both of them.

"Both teams have to play on the same pitch, so it is not an advantage for one or a disadvantage for the other. Both teams have to cope," he told PUMA Football. "As a team we like to play a technical game where we pass the ball and move into more dangerous areas building pressure as we advance up the pitch.

"On a pitch like this, we might have to be more direct, but this group of players can play in a number of different ways and we have trained with different styles so the condition of the pitch is not a problem for us, nor an excuse."

The Black Stars reached the final four of the competition thanks to a 2-0 win over Cape Verde.