Mensah: Ghana have the right mix

Ghana captain John Mensah says his team have the maturity to win the Africa Cup of Nations, despite fielding a young squad at the tournament.

Mensah, 29, said that although the squad he is commanding is mostly made up of players under 25, it will not affect Ghana’s chances of claiming the trophy for a fifth time.

“It’s about maturity and understanding of the game,” Mensah told the Ghana FA website.

“You cannot judge a player by his age. We only have to give confidence to them to play and keep on telling them that they can do it and we can make it as a team.”

“What is also important is their commitment and desire to win.”

Mensah said the blend of young and old in the Ghana team will work well as the continental showpiece begins on Saturday in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

“We have a good number of experienced players together with youth and we work well as a team,” Mensah said.

“Of course, our target is to always win in every game. I don’t think having more youthful players rules out any team’s chances. It depends on the team.”