Ibrahim Tanko, the head coach of the Ghana U23 squad, has defended Daniel Afriyie Barnieh after he missed multiple opportunities in Tuesday's match against the Algeria U23 team.

The captain of the Black Meteors, who began for the team on Tuesday, missed numerous opportunities to score multiple goals and complete the game with a hat trick.

After defeating Algeria 1-0, coach Ibrahim Tanko acknowledged to the media that Daniel Afriyie Barnieh was a wasteful player.

He was quick to add, though, that the attacker's overall play was solid and benefited the squad.

“I think Barnieh did well though. He spoiled a lot of chances but his general play was good. You can’t just use one game to kill a player, he just moved to Europe. I’m sure he will settle well at his club before the tournament,” Ibrahim Tanko shared.

Courtesy of the 1-0 win over Algeria, Ghana has secured qualification for the 2023 U23 Africa Cup of Nations tournament to be hosted in Morocco.