Ghana’s coach, Otto Addo, believes his team earned their victory despite a challenging first-half performance against the Central African Republic (CAR). The Black Stars played their fourth match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers at the Baba Yara Stadium on Monday night.
The match began with promise as Jordan Ayew put Ghana in the lead. However, the team found themselves trailing 2-1 at halftime after two goals from Louis Mafouta for CAR. Despite these setbacks, Ghana managed to secure a 4-3 victory in the end.
Addo acknowledged the difficulties his players faced with ball control during the initial stages of the game. “We had issues in the first half with ball control and creating opportunities up front. I accept the fault,” he stated, taking full responsibility for the team’s early struggles.
The coach also admitted that he might have pushed the team too hard given their limited training time. “Perhaps I demanded too much from the team despite limited training days,” Addo reflected. However, he emphasized that the adjustments made in the second half were crucial to their success, stating, “I made adjustments in the second half, and our victory was justified.”
Despite the challenging start, Addo underscored that the win was hard-earned and well-deserved. “We had a tough first half, but our efforts paid off in the end,” he added, reinforcing his belief in the team’s capability and resilience.
With this victory, Ghana now leads Group I with nine points from four games, holding a three-point advantage over Madagascar and Comoros, who have each played one match fewer. This crucial win strengthens Ghana’s position in the race for the 2026 World Cup.