Otto Addo Dodges Controversial Question After Dominant WCQ Win Against Chad

• The Black Stars delivered an impressive performance vs Chad, securing a crucial win in the World Cup qualifier
• Jordan Ayew handed over the captain's armband after his substitution, sparking confusion when Partey and Djiku declined it
• Otto Addo refused to adress the question which could cause troubles for the national team in the future

Ghana's 5-0 win over Chad in the World Cup qualifier on Friday night at the Accra Sports Stadium was a historic and dominant performance as the Black Stars displayed excellent football throughout the match, with goals from several key players, including captain Jordan Ayew.

However, a moment during the match at the Accra Sports Stadium, which could have overshadowed the result, occurred in the 81st minute when Ayew was substituted. The subsequent controversy surrounding the captain's armband raised eyebrows.

Although head coach Otto Addo refused to adress the issue in its entirety in his post-game presser, the incident sparked conversations about leadership dynamics in the team, with the Ghanaian sports media posing questions to Addo regarding the occurance.

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Dominant victory for the Black Stars

Ghana’s 5-0 victory over Chad was a display of football excellence. The Black Stars, who failed to qualify for AFCON 2025, controlled the game from start to finish, putting in an impressive performance that saw them secure all the spoils to go top the World Cup qualifying Group I with 12 points.

The win was especially significant in boosting their campaign for a spot in the tournament, and the team’s attacking prowess was on full display. Jordan Ayew, the team’s captain, played a crucial role, scoring a goal from the spot and leading by example on the field as Antoine Semenyo, Inaki Williams, Mohammed Salisu, and Ernest Appiah Nuamah all registered a strike each.

Yet, the match was almost marred by an unusual moment that caused some tension on the pitch and left fans and pundits alike wondering about the team’s internal issues.

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Ghana Premier League side Gold Stars' Communications team member, Oti Manu Joseph, was full of superlatives for the Black Stars during an interview with Gariba Raubil of YEN.com.gh.

''It was an emphatic victory, and the support was phenomenal. You can see the whole spirit of the country was behind the team on Friday. The players did extremely well, from the goalkeeper, to the midfielders, and the attack'' Oti Manu Jospeh said.

The captain's armband issue

In the 81st minute of the game, with Ghana leading comfortably 5-0, coach Otto Addo made the decision to substitute Jordan Ayew, who had already scored in the match. As is customary when a captain leaves the field, Ayew took off the captain’s armband and intended to hand it to Thomas Partey to continue leading the team. However, what followed was anything but ordinary. Instead of accepting the armband, the Arsenal midfieder gestured for Jordan to give it to Alexander Djiku who also refused it, asking Jordan to still hand it to Partey.

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Eventually, after some back and forth, Partey, who an Arsenal fan called for his statue to be erected at Emirates Stadium, finally accepted the armband. However, the whole situation unfolded in a somewhat awkward manner, and the leadership dynamics within the Black Stars were brought into question, with the majority of the Ghanaian sports press and fans disppointed in the incident that could have tainted a brilliant night of Ghanaian football.

Otto Addo’s response

After the match, coach Otto Addo was questioned about the unusual incident. In his post-game press conference, attended by YEN.com.gh's Sports Editor Gariba Raubil, he downplayed the significance of the event, saying he did not see it, focusing instead on the team’s performance and the result. Addo’s response did little to address the underlying issues of leadership within the squad, which many observers believed had been exposed during the exchange of the armband.

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His response that he did not see the incident also appears a bit dishonest as it happened very close to his technical area, with Addo spotted watching on.

''We were not lost about leadership. I didn't see the band line of the grass. So After Jordan left, someone took it, after Thomas, somebody took it. So that is all.'' Otto Addo said.

The coach's reaction seemed to minimize the importance of the moment, perhaps trying to avoid creating any unnecessary distractions ahead of future games. However, his decision to avoid addressing the situation head-on only fueled further curiosity about the team's internal relationships and the role of leadership within the squad.

Benjamin Asare's start vs Chad

YEN.com.gh earlier reported an insightful article where Benjamin Asare of Hearts of Oak was backed to compete for the Black Stars of Ghana starting goalkeeping role for the Chad World Cup qualifier. The GPL star was eventually named as starter as Ghana won 5-0 on Friday.

Source: YEN.com.gh