West Ham United ace Mohammed Kudus caught up in shameful moment on Ghana duty
Mohammed Kudus will have felt like the smallest man at the Accra Sports Ground as the West Ham United star missed a 96th-minute penalty in the 2-1 loss against Niger.
The 24-year-old stepped up for the match-defining spot-kick on Monday [18 November] and saw his effort saved by Mahamadou Dijbo to stretch Ghana’s winless run in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers to six matches.
Furthermore, in footage shared by Kay via X [18 November], the Ghana fans can be heard jeering Kudus as he steps up to salvage a point for his side.
How the supporters thought it was acceptable to pile the pressure on the side’s star player just as he’s about to take a nerve-wrecking penalty is beyond comprehension, and they should feel ashamed of themselves.
It is now up to the West Ham faithful to help restore his confidence.
West Ham United fans must get behind Mohammed Kudus
Kudus has endured a tough time in East London this season, but all his troubles seemingly point to his exploits with the national side.
The forward cited his Ghana frustrations as the reason he lost his composure in the 4-1 loss against Tottenham [The Times].
He is two matches into a five-game suspension for violent conduct after receiving a red card for an altercation with Micky van de Ven, and he will not return to the side for the clash against Leicester City on 3 December.
The situation with Ghana will only get worse from here on out. The national side have missed out on qualifying for AFCON quite emphatically, and the supporters’ frustrations are already at boiling point.
However, Kudus must use his enforced absence from the Hammers to recapture his best form and perhaps even use his national team frustrations and channel it into his football.
Kudus enjoyed a stellar maiden campaign in the Premier League, scoring 14 goals and adding six assists across all competitions, but has only mustered two goals this term and is in danger of being dubbed a one-season wonder.
Only he can prove to the West Ham faithful that he can help the side salvage what has been an abysmal start to the campaign.
While he has aspirations to move on from East London next summer [Sacha Tavolieri], the reported interest from Arsenal and Liverpool is unlikely to generate concrete interest if he continues on this path.
Therefore, the supporters must get behind Kudus when he returns to the pitch following his ban and show that they, unlike Ghana, can weather the storm until he finds his feet again in the Premier League.
In other West Ham news, the Irons have joined the race to sign Manchester City ace James McAtee.
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