Ghanaian players need psychological training in taking penalty kicks: Prof. Mintah

Penalty shootouts have been a challenge for Ghana football both at club and national team levels.

READ MORE: 20 times Ghana’s national teams lost games via penalty shootout

The Black Meteors failed to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games qualifiers when they twice threw away the opportunity to do so- suffered defeat in the semis and the third-place playoff against Ivory Coast and South Africa, respectively via penalty shootouts.

Ghanaians have poured out their frustration over the penalty heartbreaks from the Black Meteors which has denied the national a place in Tokyo and Professor Mintah President of the Ghana Coaches Association who is also a renowned Phycologist has waded into the conversation by suggesting that players should undergo phycological training in order to overcome the penalty failure, which has become perennial.

“The player going to take the penalty is under stress, anxiety, everybody is expecting him to score. If he scores we win or if not we lose”, he told the media.

He further said, “So that player needs the psychological training and he has to practice those things at training and get the result so that when he goes into a match he will be able to apply it”.

It is understood there has been a proposal by the Ghana FA Executive Council to introduce penalty kicks in drawn games in the league as part of efforts to tackle the situation.

It would be recalled that just last month the Black Stars B lost the final of the 2019 WAFU Championship final through penalty shootout against Senegal.