I Don't Care What Ghanaians Will Say About Starlets - Coach Paa Kwesi Fabin

Coach Paa Kwesi Fabin, has said that he does not really care about, what Ghanaians would say when the team gets home, after losing to Mali by 2:1 in the first quarter-final match of the ongoing Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup, India.

Coach Fabin after a third defeat to the Malians said this at a post-match conference when he was asked: “how Ghanaians would receive the team back home?"

He said "In association football, you either win, lose or draw…we have lost today and I don’t know how they would take it.

“But however they take it, it really doesn’t matter and I really don’t mind,” he noted.

Coach Fabin further noted that, the game should have been rescheduled due to the heavy rains and how soaked the pitch was, rendering ball control difficult.

“For me, I thought the game should have been rescheduled and played on another time, but the organizers said we should play, so we had to play," he said.

Ghana has lost to Mali three times 2017 after Mali beat Ghana by a goal to nil at Gabon in the Africa Under-17 Championship and a recent friendly in Dubai.

The coach of the National Under-17 team has also expressed his disappointment at the level of officiating at the just-ended quarter-final between Ghana and Mali at the ongoing Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) in India.

The Starlets lost to Mali by 2:1 at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati, with goals from Hajid Drame in the 15th minute and a second from Djemoussa Traore in the 61st minute, with a consolation from Mohammed Kudos in the 70th minute from a spot-kick.

Fabin noted that officiating was poor, as a clean goal for his boys was disallowed, which could have changed the dynamics of the game.

“Normally I don’t talk about officiating but the referee didn’t help in today’s game. I am complaining today because we scored a perfect equalizer and we were denied.

“The ball entered the post long before the referee whistled for a foul we didn’t even understand. But if the goal should have stood, it would have changed the game totally” he said.

In a game that both sides found it very difficult to control the ball, due to a soaked pitch, the Malians once again showed their superiority over Ghana after they beat the starlets by a goal to nil to lift the trophy at the just ended African Edition of the U-17 Championship held in Gabon.