Ghana’s head coach, Otto Addo, has emphasized that the reconstruction of the Black Stars is a gradual process as he believes the team was not performing well before his arrival.
Addo was reappointed as the Ghanaian coach in March after leading the national team to the Qatar 2022 World Cup in his previous spell. However, the current performance has not gone as planned with the Black Stars yet to secure a win in the two matches they have played against Nigeria and Uganda.
Assessing the two friendly matches played by the Black Stars in March, Coach Addo pointed out that the players needed to improve on their finishing. He added that rebuilding the team would require a lot of work, noting that the team has a long way to go.
“We have to work a lot, finishing must be better under pressure. It’s a lot of work, but I have to say this is what I expected because…we were not good even before I came so it’s a process,” Addo said.
Meanwhile, Coach Addo also expressed his dissatisfaction with the team’s discipline, urging his players to be more intelligent. The Black Stars received three red cards in their international friendlies against Nigeria and Uganda, with Jerome Opoku receiving a red card in the match against Nigeria.
The Black Stars were held to a 2-2 draw by Uganda in their second friendly match, with the Cranes coming from behind twice to claim a share of the spoils. In the game, Mohammed Salisu, who replaced Edmund Addo in the 65th minute, was red-carded, and Alidu Seidu also received his marching orders.
Reacting to the situation, Coach Addo promised to address the issue and urged his players to play more intelligently. He said, “The discipline on the pitch to play good, play hard. Play hard but intelligent and not get silly yellow and red cards is something we have to address and work on.”
Coach Addo also spoke about the team’s gameplay, stating that it was not good enough. He said that the team should have created more chances, especially in the final third. The Ghanaian coach reiterated that rebuilding the team would require a lot of work, and it would not happen overnight.
Looking forward, the Black Stars will face Mali and the Central African Republic in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June. Coach Addo and his team will have to work tirelessly to improve the team’s performance before the qualifiers begin.
Coach Addo’s message to the Black Stars is clear: the team has a long way to go, and rebuilding will not happen overnight. The team needs to work on their discipline and be more intelligent on the field. The coach also emphasized the importance of finishing under pressure and creating more chances, especially in the final third. The Black Stars will have to work hard to improve their performance before the World Cup qualifiers in June.
