Mohammed Kudus Lashes Out at Black Stars Teammates as Ghana Fail to Beat Mozambique

• Mohammed Kudus has criticised his Ghana teammates after sharing honours against Mozambique
• Jordan Ayew scored two penalties on either side of the half as the Black Stars took a 2-0 lead
• But two goals in three minutes in the dying embers of the game earned Mozambique a draw

Mohammed Kudus has expressed frustration with his Ghanaian teammates, attributing the team's struggles in the Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Côte d'Ivoire to "silly mistakes" and a "lack of concentration."

The Black Stars, facing the possibility of an early exit for the second consecutive tournament, experienced a setback with a disappointing 2-2 draw against Mozambique in their recent group game in Abidjan on Monday night.

Despite initially securing a 2-0 lead through Jordan Ayew's well-converted penalties, the four-time African champions faltered in the final moments.

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The West African giants conceded two late goals during injury time, one from a penalty resulting from Andre Ayew's handball in the 91st minute, and the other from a header following a corner, which goalkeeper Richard Ofori inexplicably allowed, per the Athletic.

Kudus slams Black Stars teammates

Kudus, named the man of the match and visibly emotional during the post-match press conference, did not mince words, stating that the players had essentially caused their own downfall.

"In matches of this nature, it boils down to fine margins, the little details," remarked the West Ham star via Myjoyonline.

"Maintain your focus throughout the entire game. We conceded two inexpensive goals; it was the same against Egypt. Our concentration slipped away in the final minutes of the match.

Kudus further commented: "Today should have been a straightforward victory for us. Just maintain that until the end of the game. We were overly careless, making two foolish mistakes. This match should have been a breeze."

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Paintsil blasts Ghana coach

Meanwhile, Ghana midfielder Joseph Paintsil has fired back at national team head coach Chris Hughton following the disastrous end to their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations clash against Mozambique.

Hughton took off Paintsil immediately after halftime, bringing in captain Andre Ayew. When quizzed about the decision, the former Brighton manager said that the Genk midfielder looked fatigued.

Paintsil denied the comments from the coach asking, 'What fatigue?' as seen in a video captured by 3SportsGH.

Violent scenes in Abidjan

Sports Brief has also reported on disturbing violent scenes in Abidjan following Ivory Coast's heavy defeat to Equatorial Guinea.

The host nation required a positive outcome against the African underdogs to advance to the next round but instead suffered one of the most significant defeats in their history.

Streets saw the destruction of vehicles and the ignition of a couple of bonfires, posing a challenge for law enforcement to manage the situation.