Andre Dede Ayew, captain of the senior national team, the Black Stars, conceded that his side lost Thursday’s opening game against Portugal because of several unforced errors.

The final score was 3-2, with Ghana losing after allowing two goals in the final two minutes to Portugal.

Dede Ayew noted in a post-match conference that the Black Stars’ spirit was lowered and the game’s momentum was altered by the penalty that was called against them.

“In football you would always pay for your mistakes, and that is what happened to us,” the Black Stars captain noted.

He explained, “We made some errors, and they punished us for that. The last two goals from Portugal were so quick we could not recover, but we have always survived difficult conditions and we would come back good,

Ayew, who scored Africa’s first goal in the ongoing tournament pointed out that they would have a chance to turn things around in the following game and that they had always managed to overcome adversity.

“We qualified for the world from a very difficult group and conditions. I know this team we always get out of very difficult conditions.

“I am convinced we would return good in the next game. We showed good character in the game against Portugal, and we can make things better in the next game,” he remarked.