The Black Stars lost 1-0 to South Africa yesterday in what was a frustrating performance to watch at times. My attitude before the game was that this was a friendly so it didn’t really matter who won. However, in the first half the competitive spirit kicked in and I found myself wanting to win as though it were a World Cup match and getting annoyed at every misplaced pass-and there were many. South Africa dominated the first half and deservedly took the lead in the 41st minute through Katlego Mphela. The second half was more competitive. Milovan Rajevac made many changes and everyone got a run. Unknown quantities Cofie Bekoe,  Yaw Antwi and Bright Addae introduced themselves to Ghanaians and registered their first cap. Bekoe was quick, skillful and with more experience and control could be an effective player. I can see why Rajevac would be intrigued by him. One thing I thought we missed at the World Cup was a player who could be introduced to change the pace of the game and run at tired defenders. Quincy Owusu-Abeyie could have been that player but his bad decision making means Rajevac has probably soured on him. It was hard to judge the others but Antwi was also forceful in a number of situations and I could sense why Milo invited him. On one play he tracked back and won the ball just into the Black Stars half. In Rajevac’s Black Stars every single player has defensive responsibility so even that small contribution will not go unnoticed.

It is safe to say that we will see some of these players again in the future as Rajevac revamps his squad.