Ghana defender Alidu Seidu has acknowledged that the Black Stars struggled in their recent 1-1 draw against Niger during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, admitting that a poor start contributed to the disappointing outcome.

Seidu, who netted his debut goal for Ghana in that match, is part of the squad preparing for a crucial doubleheader against Sudan later this month. With just one point from their first two games, Ghana faces must-win matches on October 10 and October 15 to keep their AFCON qualification hopes alive.

“Now we have Sudan coming up, and playing 1-1 against Niger will serve as a lesson for us. We are going to give everything to beat Sudan both at home and away,” Seidu stated in an interview with Sportblog247.com.

Reflecting on the match against Niger, he said, “We didn’t start well and lost a lot of balls. When I scored, I wasn’t too happy because I knew we could do better. In African football, scoring just one goal is never enough. If I had scored a second goal, I would have celebrated more, but it was 1-0, and I was already thinking about getting that second goal.”

As the Black Stars prepare for the high-pressure encounters against Sudan, Seidu emphasized the importance of remaining composed despite the heightened emotions. “There will be high emotions for the Sudan game, but there’s no pressure. I will try to give everything and enjoy the football so that people are happy,” he concluded.