Ayew-inspired Ghana thump T&T 4-0, as Yorke’s troops bow out of Unity Cup

The Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior team were humbled in London today, as they bowed out of the Unity Cup with a 4-0 loss to Ghana in the third-place playoff of the tournament.

Coach Dwight Yorke made 11 changes to his starting team which lost 3-2 to Jamaica on Tuesday and also reverted to his preferred 3-4-1-2 formation. But it might be too simplistic to blame those changes alone for today’s more lopsided result.

Yes, the Soca Warriors could have done with Daniel Phillips’ physical presence in midfield and the experience of Marvin Phillip and Alvin Jones in goal and at right back respectively.

However, the reality was that Ghana—although under-strength, like Trinidad and Tobago—were superior. And Yorke was unable to effectively limit their flow of the ball, as the Africans seemed to stream forward at will down either side of the pitch.

The final score at the Gtech Community Stadium on Tuesday, with Jamaica prevailing on a last minute penalty, might distract from the fact that the Warriors looked quite open then too.

The difference today, arguably, was that Ghana had Leicester City forward Jordan Ayew upfront. And, at the other end, Trinidad and Tobago playmaker Joevin Jones did not quite have enough support to fashion together any sustained, threatening periods of ball possession—as Kevin Molino did, earlier this week.

The game was just six minutes old when Ayew separated the two teams with a left footed drive from the edge of the opposing penalty box that arrowed into the corner to goalkeeper Jabari St Hillaire’s right, following a turnover in Trinidad and Tobago’s half of the field.

There were just two Ghanaian passes before Ayew’s strike, which St Hillaire did not appear well placed to deal with.

St Hillaire, making his second international start today, was busy from the outset and would be pleased with his sharp close range save to deny Ghana flanker Christopher Bonsu Baah in the 11th minute.

But, seconds later, the 25-year-old custodian was picking the ball from the back of his net again—as Ghana defender Razak Simpson scored with a thumping header off Ayew’s corner kick.

Trinidad and Tobago trailed Jamaica 2-0 on Tuesday and were able to claw themselves level at 2-2. They might have dreamed of a similar recovery when midfielder Duane Muckette struck the post in the 26th minute, after the Ghanaian defence failed to clear a Kaihim Thomas free kick.

By then, Yorke looked to have returned to a back four. He has treasured multi-functional players who allow for tactical fluidity during matches, such as Jesse Williams, Shervohnez Hernandez, Reon Moore and Thomas from today’s line-up.

But the main issue seemed to be how to stem Ghana’s ball movement while defending; and how to create numerical advantage in patches of the Gtech ground to help maintain possession themselves.

Yorke never looked like solving that problem today.

Ghana’s most starting display of their superiority came in the 41st minute, as the Black Stars played the ball from central defence straight through the Trinidad and Tobago team and into the back of St Hillaire’s net.

It took nine passes to undress the Warriors with Ayew, again, involved with the final reverse pass to Mohammed Fuseini who stroked home the game’s third goal from inside the penalty area.

Fuseini, incidentally, was one of six Ghananian changes from their starting team which lost 2-1 to Nigeria on Wednesday.

Yorke withdrew midfielder Kristian Lee-Him, left wingback Hamilton and forwards Isaiah Lee and Moore at the interval, with Noah Powder, Andre Raymond, Brent Sam and John-Paul Rochford taking their places.

They all acquitted themselves well. Trinidad and Tobago might have had a consolation goal in the 88th minute but Sam failed to get a touch on a superb Raymond cross into the Ghanaian box.

However, Ghana got an item in the second half too. St Hillaire would not want to watch that one again, as he allowed a cross from attacking midfielder Lawrence Agyekum to creep between his legs in the 58th minute.

The African team might have easily scored more too, but 4-0 was a sufficient statement.

The Soca Warriors return to Trinidad shortly in preparation for next Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Saint Kitts and Nevis at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

A win will ensure that Trinidad and Tobago advance to the third and final Concacaf qualifying round. However, anything short of three points would leave Yorke’s troops needing to get a result away to Costa Rica on Tuesday 10 June to stay alive.

From those two World Cup qualifiers, the Warriors head to the United States for Gold Cup group stage matches against USA (15 June), Haiti (19 June) and Saudi Arabia (22 June) respectively.

It will be the most testing phase of Yorke’s international career so far, which started last November.

Today’s loss to Ghana would further highlight what requires fixing. Applying the fix, though, is where coaches earn their hefty salaries.

Editor’s Note: Nigeria won the Unity Cup with a 5-4 penalty shootout triumph over Jamaica, after both teams played to a 2-2 draw in regulation time.

(Teams)

Trinidad and Tobago (3-4-1-2): 21.Jabari St Hillaire (GK); 24.Jesse Williams (15.Dantaye Gilbert 75), 4.Sheldon Bateau, 17.Justin Garcia; 20.Kaihim Thomas, 9.Duane Muckette, 19.Kristian Lee-Him (7.Noah Powder 46), 26.Shervohnez Hamilton (6.Andre Raymond 46); 3.Joevin Jones (captain); 13.Reon Moore (14.John-Paul Rochford 46), 12.Isaiah Lee (23.Brent Sam 46).

Unused substitutes: 1.Marvin Phillip (GK), 2.Jelani Peters, 5.Jamal Jack, 8.Daniel Phillips, 10.Kevin Molino, 11.Isaiah Leacock, 16.Alvin Jones, 18.Rio Cardines.

Coach: Dwight Yorke.

Ghana (4-2-3-1): 1.Lawrence Ati-Zigi (GK); 5.Caleb Yirenkyi, 4.Razak Simpson, 18.Stephan Ambrosius, 14.Gideon Mensah; 27.Abu Francis (21.Salis Abdul Samed 71), 13.Ibrahim Sulemana (8.Majeed Ashimeru 60); 22.Christopher Bonsu Baah, 15.Lawrence Agyekum (7.Abdul Aziz Issah 60), 17.Mohammed Fuseini (23.Brandon Thomas-Asante 73); 9.Jordan Ayew (captain) (19.Felix Afena-Gyan 60).

Unused substitutes: 12.Joseph Anang (GK), 16.Benjamin Asare (GK), 2.Kamaradini Mamudu, 3.Aaron Essel, 11.Kwame Opoku, 20.Ebenezer Annan.

Coach: Otto Addo.

Unity Cup

(Saturday 31 May)

Trinidad and Tobago 0, Ghana 4 (Jordan Ayew 6, Razak Simpson 12, Mohammed Fuseini 41, Lawrence Agyekum 58) at Gtech Community Stadium in London.

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Lasana Liburd

Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.