Ghana’s head coach, Otto Addo, has made it clear that the Black Stars must secure a win in their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Sudan.
With a disappointing start to their campaign, including a defeat against Angola and a draw with Niger, Addo emphasized that victory is crucial to keeping their qualification hopes alive.
“It will be difficult again. I knew from the start, it’s just some little margins, little details which can decide. This will be a crucial match for us. We have to win. There is no way around it, and we have to win,” Otto Addo said as he reflected on the team’s current position.
Ghana currently finds itself under mounting pressure, with Otto Addo stressing that his players need to step up and deliver. The coach acknowledged the challenges but remains confident that the team can turn things around.
“If we want to have the chance to play better after, we have to win. We are under pressure, this is for sure, and we have to do better,” he added.
One of Otto Addo’s major concerns has been the Black Stars‘ defensive lapses, which have cost them crucial points. Reflecting on their recent performances, Addo expressed disappointment in his team’s inability to learn from previous mistakes.
“We are allowing too cheap goals. Like I said, I am disappointed; we didn’t learn the lessons from the first game. Now it’s a set piece, we are all back, we need to defend this better,” he explained.
The head coach also highlighted the need for his players to improve both defensively and offensively. Despite creating chances in their last two matches, the Black Stars failed to capitalize, which has left their path to AFCON qualification more challenging.
“We have to improve to use our chances and also to defend better in detail and to learn our lessons. Like I said, the goals are too cheap, and we have to grow from this,” Addo added.
The Black Stars are fully aware that anything less than a win against Sudan could jeopardize their chances of booking a spot in next year’s AFCON tournament in Morocco. As the pressure mounts, all eyes will be on the team as they seek to get their qualification campaign back on track.