Abdul Fatwau Issahaku, perhaps, justified why he was voted the Best Player of the U20 AFCON which ended recently in Mauritania by putting up a stupendous performance for the Black Stars B in their international friendly with Uzbekistan on Friday afternoon.

The Steadfast FC playmaker became the talking point after the game despite Ghana losing the game by 2-1.

An improved performance in the second half from the Ghanaians saw then get a goal but the home side looked too determined to win the game ahead of the international clash with Iraq on Sunday.

The Uzbeks broke the virginity of the game under ten minutes after Utabek Shukurov’s curled shot swerved Joseph Addo into the net.

The Black Stars B fought back for the equalizer before the break but it was the Uzbeks who came close to increasing the tally but squandered all the opportunities that fell to them.

Fatawu’s creativity and ingenuity paid off after he curled a thunderous free kick into the net to restore parity for Ghana after he was brought down in front of the 18-yard box of Uzbekistan.

The Uzbeks responded quickly to restore their lead after Michel Otuo gifted a ball to an Uzbek attacker who wasted no time in putting the ball at the back of the net.

Here is how we rated the performance of the players after the game:

Joseph Addo – GK (6): The Aduana Stars shot stopper wasn’t bad. He pulled some brilliant saves and saved Ghana from total annihilation. He could however, have done better with the first goal he conceded. But entirely, he was good.

Christopher Nettey – (4): He lasted the entire duration of the game but, perhaps, the Asante Kotoko defender justified why he was dropped from the Black Stars. His output was poor and he struggled to hold on to his marker. His defensive capabilities were seriously challenged in the game.

Samuel Ashey-Quaye – (5): The Great Olympics man was average in the game. He was given a serious test by Rashida in the first half and had no breathing space. He could not support the attack from the flanks and struggled to even connect good passes.

Konadu Yiadom – (5): The WAFA defender staged an averaged performance. He struggled to settle in the game and could hardly hold on to his markers. He, however, pulled an on-the-line clearance that could have seen Ghana concede the second goal before the break.

Mohammed Alhassan – (3): The Hearts of Oak defender was the weakest link in the team. He could hardly effect good clearances and was poor at intercepting passes. He always allowed space for the Uzbek attackers to run at him and struggle to even turn well. He needs to work extra extra harder to up his game.

Moro Salisu – (4): Gave an average performance in the second half but was completely poor in the first half. His poor show led to Uzbekistan scoring their first goal. He could not tackle and was not combative. His passes were poor and he was completely missing in the game. He needs to do more to improve.

Michel Otuo – (4): Not a different performance compared to Moro. He cheaply gave away Uzbek’s second goal. He was completely different from the Michel who has been playing so well in the GPL for Olympics. He must improve.

Rashid Nortey – (5): The Medeama SC play maker was average in the game. He hardly gave the defence-splitting passes he is known for. He could hardly attack and ball distribution was poor.

Diawisie Taylor – (3): Shocking performance from the Ghana Premier League top scorer. The striker was not influential in the game this afternoon. He hardly threatened the Uzbeks and always allowed their defenders to move forward with the ball to support their midfielders. No shot on target was recorded from him.

Kwame Peprah – (3): A disappointing performance from the King Faisal striker. He hardly replicated his performance in the league as he failed to threaten the Uzbeks. He was not a threat to the opponents and hardly tried a short on target.

Fatawu Issahaku – (9): He scored Ghana’s only goal. He had two shots on target. Created three chances and was a torn in the flesh of the Uzbeks. He’s Ghana’s best player on the field.

Subs

Daniel Afriyie – (4): His introduction brought fluidity into the Ghana attack. He was always running at the Uzbekistan defenders and did not allow them space to play. He complemented the efforts of Fatawu in the build up to Ghana’s free kick that brought the goal. Perhaps, he should have come on a bit earlier.

Agyenim Boateng – (2): Provided no better option when he came on. Had an opportunity to have fired Ghana in front after he was set up by Fatawu but he squandered.

Percious Boah – (2): Came on late but showed signs of readiness to make some difference. Perhaps he should have been on earlier.

Maxwell Abbey Quaye – (1): Similar to Boah, he showed signs of a positive addition but the timing was too late for him.

Dennis Korsah – N/A