Mohammed Kudus superstition emerges as West Ham United star sent new message
Ghanaian coach Prince George Koffie believes West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus’ latest international performance is being attributed to a superstition.
The 24-year-old was left red-faced after missing a sitter in the dying minutes of Ghana’s 0-0 draw with Sudan on Thursday (10 October).
Kudus, therefore, fluffed his chance to impress in his first game wearing the armband and the number 10 shirt for the four-time African champions.
As seen on ESPN Africa’s X account (11 October), many believe he succumbed to the pressure, but Koffie has insisted that it is a superstition.
Speaking to Ghanaian outlet YEN, the coach said: “The game of football fundamentally revolves around several pillars: the physical, technical, tactical, and psycho-social.
“The psycho-social pillar is an integral part of football and should not be underestimated.
“It must be utilised from a coaching perspective to handle external pressures and superstitions, especially in the case of Kudus’ No.10 jersey, where the inability to perform at the expected level is being attributed to superstition.
“As an experienced coach, I would guide Kudus and his teammates through what we call ‘growth mindset’ encouragement.
“This involves fostering the belief that abilities can be improved through effort, emphasising teamwork, mental toughness, a winning mentality, and minimising mistakes.”
Mohammed Kudus needs to be cut some slack
Kudus is undoubtedly one of Ghana’s best players and there is an expectation for him to do most of the heavy lifting for the team.
It is therefore understandable why the fans are frustrated with him after he missed a huge chance to fire the side to victory.
Nevertheless, Kudus needs to be cut some slack as he was still one of Ghana’s standout performers against Sudan.
According to FotMob, he registered three shots on target and would have been on the scoresheet had it not been a seven-save performance from Sudan goalkeeper Mohamed Mustafa.
The former Ajax superstar also created five chances, completing 25 of his 28 passes with 89 per cent accuracy.
He also boasted a 100 per cent dribble success rate, completing all of his four attempts.
Kudus will be determined to set the record straight when Ghana face Sudan again in the reverse fixture on Tuesday (15 October).
In other West Ham news, the Irons are readying a bid for Alexander Sorloth amid growing fears about Niclas Fullkrug.
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