“A draw against Niger wouldn’t changed anything, but it could have lifted the mood of the country” – Black Stars coach Otto Addo

Ghana coach Otto Addo expressed regret over his team’s failure to provide a much-needed morale boost to the nation following their 2-1 loss to Niger in the final Group F match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday.

While acknowledging that a draw wouldn’t have changed Ghana’s elimination from the tournament, Addo stressed the potential impact it could have had on the players and the country.

“Surely everyone is disappointed, and even if we had played a draw, it wouldn’t have changed anything. Yes, it would have improved the mood of the country and the energy levels of the players,” Addo admitted in his post-match remarks.

The Black Stars endured a dismal qualifying campaign, starting with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Angola and managing just a single point in a 1-1 draw against Niger.

Back-to-back losses to Sudan compounded their struggles, leaving them winless in six matches. Ghana finished at the bottom of Group F with only three points, trailing Angola (14), Sudan (8), and Niger (7).