Ghana Coach Otto Addo Told to Build Black Stars Around Local Players
- Ghana coach Otto Addo has been adviced to build the Black Stars primarily with local talent amid their current woes
- The Black Stars are facing challenges in securing a spot for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after a tough qualifying campaign
- Ghana will next face Angola in Luanda before hosting Niger in Accra for the final two Group F games in November
Former Ghana Football Association President, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has voiced concerns over Otto Addo’s hesitation to build the Black Stars around local talent.
His remarks follow Ghana's surprising 2-0 defeat to Sudan in the second leg of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Source: Twitter
The football administrator explained that during a meeting at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram, he advised the Black Stars coach to build the senior national team around homegrown players.
However, Addo, 45, expressed concerns, stating that he feared being ridiculed if the strategy failed.
"I met Otto Addo at the Ghanaman Soccer of Excellence at Prampram and I encouraged him to build the Black Stars around local players because the players playing in Europe are not the best and they are always careful when they are playing but the coach told me that people will laugh at him if he tries the local players and he fails," he told Asempa FM via Ghanasoccernet.
Following the defeat, questions have arisen about the players' commitment.
The Black Stars currently sit third in Group F with just two points from four matches and will regroup in November to face Niger and Angola in their final group games.
The Black Stars have not won a game in four matches in Group F and are on the brink of missing the tournament in Morocco next year.
Otto Addo wants time with Black Stars
Meanwhile, Addo believes the Black Stars team will need time under Addo's leadership to return to its glory days.
While his second stint began on a high note with back-to-back wins against Mali and the Central African Republic in the World Cup qualifiers, the AFCON qualifiers have been a different story.
With just two points from four matches, Ghana's chances of qualifying for the tournament in Morocco look slim. The Black Stars currently sit third in Group F, trailing Angola, who have already qualified, and Sudan, according to ESPN.
Addo opens up on World Cup qualification
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Otto Addo stated that Ghana has struggled for some time now and not recently, as some suggested.
For the first time in 20 years, the Black Stars might miss out on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations following a poor run in the qualifiers.
Ghana sits third in Group F after four matches with two points, with a slim chance of reaching the 2025 tournament in Morocco.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
