Weakened Ghana survive in Angola

African Nations Cup hosts Angola and contenders Ghana drew 0-0 Wednesday in a friendly at Cidadela Stadium.

The ‘Black Stars’ lacked key players Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari and Asamoah Gyan and Palanca Negras (Black Antelopes) continued without striker Manucho Goncalves, axed by coach Manuel Jose after arriving late for training last month.

The game began with a flourish when the match balls arrived by parachute from a helicopter above the stadium, but the first half produced little to excite a near-30,000 crowd.

The tempo increased in the second half as the sun faded and the crowd became more raucous with Angola keeping Ghana goalkeeper Daniel Agyei on his toes.

This match offered younger Ghanaian stars a chance to impress Serb coach Milovan Rajevac ahead of the Nations Cup during January.

It was Angola?s second friendly in four days and a rare chance for home fans to see players who played the six previous games in Portugal.

Jose said the second half of the game was an improvement on Saturday?s 1-1 draw with Congo, but some players still had “negative mental behaviour”.

Portuguese Jose, who took over Angola in June after many trophy-filled years at Egyptian club Al-Ahly, said how the players behaved mentally would strongly influence who made his Nations Cup squad.

“I want to play with strong characters, I want men,” he told reporters. Rajevac was full of praise for Angola.

“I think Angola is playing modern and fast football and I think they will show a lot in the Nations Cup,” he said through an interpreter.

“Today?s game was one of quality and looked more like a competitive match than a friendly.”