Sports
AFCON Qualifiers: Otto Addo looks forward to a positive reaction from players against Niger
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Head coach, Otto Addo, is looking forward to a positive reaction from his players in today’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Niger.
This comes after a tough 1-0 loss to Angola at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi, which ended Ghana’s 24-year unbeaten home run.
Addo is confident that his players have put the defeat behind them and are eager to get back on track. He has also addressed the absence of Jerome Opoku and Joseph Painstil, and emphasized the importance of player mentality and being aware of the threat that Niger poses.
With a strong squad and a determined mindset, Ghana is ready to give it their all and get back in contention for a place in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Here is everything he had to say:
On Team News
We had some few issues and little injuries, but I think they are mostly OK. Except Jerome, I think he had serious back problems. I think his body could not adapt to the training ground in Kumasi. It was very difficult for him. He had problems in training and now it was so serious that he could not train. He had to go back now to get special treatment from his club. It’s a pity. He didn’t play but got injured.
He will be out for this game. Also, Joseph Painstil, there is some issue with his work permit for the US. For that, he has to go to the US Embassy. The procedure takes some days. We needed his passport when he wanted to come to Morocco. We couldn’t take him there. We were hoping he would finish everything fast at the US Embassy. But, like I said, I think it takes more than three, four, five days. He had to do it because otherwise he couldn’t return to his club in the US. So, both of them will not be available.
On absence of Jerome Opoku and Joseph Paisntil and its impact on the team
Yes, Joseph came on as a sub, Jerome didn’t play, but the dynamics in that game is totally different from what you hope to see tomorrow. Yes, at the end of the day, anything can happen. I think Joseph had a good game when he came on, created a lot of chances, had also some chances. At the end, with Jerome, he would have been an option. He’s tall, he has a very good foot, good technique, and you never know. If anything happens or what happens, he will be there. It depends on the dynamics of the game, but for me as a coach, I would always like to have any options.
I would like to have a left-footed centre defender, right-footed, and every position should be doubled up. This is, I think, the perfect scenario, but at the moment it’s not like that. This is how it is sometimes and we take it like that. We are happy to have other substitutions on the bench tomorrow, and whoever will play, the bench will be good.
On player mentality after Angola loss
Everybody was down, so I think the first part was surely mentally. I was down myself after the match, but the next day I had a lot of positive feedback from friends and family, also from some press people, and also the press conference after the game showed me that we didn’t play bad. It was a really, unlucky game, and this positive sign gave me confidence, and this is the confidence I was trying to give to the team in the last days, and I think it worked quite well. The guys looked good at the training, and surely there were some things defensive-wise but also offensive-wise which we had to work on. We tried to implement it in our training as far as we could. Surely not all of them could do everything because of the recovery after the game, but at the end of the day, now I think we are ready for tomorrow.
On the kind of response he expects from the players
This game, we are surely the favourites and I am very, very confident that we will win this game. But in football anything can happen. We saw it last time against Angola, the way the game looked. I never thought we would lose this game, but in football now there is no weak opponent. So we have to be focused, we have to be concentrated, we have to do our job. Then the probability that we win is very, very high.
On the quality of Niger
Absolutely, absolutely, we observed them, we watched a lot of games that they played and they look strong. They have good players on their team and they play together as a team. Like I said, they had some losses, but it was always very, very close and they also had their chances, so we have to be aware of that. They have good strikers, they defend very well, tactically they are well-educated, so it’s not going to be easy, but I’m sure that if we do our best, if we can create as many chances as we did in the last game against Angola, we will force the luck to come back to us.
On weight of expectations from Ghanaians
Yeah, I think they’re fully focused. They have experienced this in their life often, more often. It also happens at club level. When I was a player, we played with Dortmund against a fourth-division team and we lost in the cup game, so anything can happen. This is football, but I think that’s also the reason why they’re there where they are. You have to be fast in your head, you have to be confident, even though sometimes you make mistakes or things go wrong. But that’s why they’re professionals, they recover fast from these things. I think everybody’s waiting now for Monday or for tomorrow to come to show a good reaction and to show that we are still there, even though we lost against Angola.
On conceding late in the last two games
I think we have, let’s say, a bigger squad from 34 players which have a performance level which will always keep us at a certain level. We have to deal with injuries and everything. This shouldn’t be a problem. Surely it’s not easy, but it’s the same for the other teams, so I don’t want to actually go on that. I know it’s always difficult to win. I think the last game showed that there is no easy match. I think we learned, especially from the first two, that anything can happen and everything is possible if you believe and if you keep going. Also, the bench is so important. Players from the bench can decide a game. Surely, I think we talked a lot about Angola. We hopefully learned our lesson. Again, to take out the positive things, that we played really well. We created a lot of chances and it’s now time. We worked also on that, on finishes and how to be a little bit more clinical. It’s time to show it on the pitch now.
On turning the negatives into positives for the team
There was a lot of talking, surely, in the last days, and a lot of negativity, which is normal when you lose. It’s a big, big chance for us tomorrow to win this game and prove negative meanings about players or whatever, or the coach, or whatever. At the end of the day, I’m very, very sure that we will play well. We showed it the last time as well. Now we need the results. This is very important, this is crucial to qualify for the AFCON that we have to win. We’ll put everything in to do that. I’m very, very confident that we will win, but it’s not going to be easy, this is for sure. Like I said, the boys are ready and they’re hungry for tomorrow and they want to show everyone that they’re still there. Tomorrow’s a big chance for us to show it.
GFA COMMUNICATIONS
Nearly nine months in office as executive of the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF), the Dauda Fuseini-led administration is yet to make an important appointment to fill a key position-Public Relations Officer.
It is, therefore, worth examining how the executive has managed to navigate several storms without an official Public Relations Officer (PRO) to communicate its side of stories to the public.
What this mean is that nature has a way of filling such vacuums. They do not stay as such for long.
That is exactly what is happening at the GBF with controversies that followed another poor performance by the Ghana amateur boxing team, the Black Bombers or generally, Team Ghana at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The controversy followed questions about the criteria for selection of boxers into the national team- that exercise should surely rest on the shoulders of the Head Coach of the team; in this case Coach Ofori Asare.
In instances where there are technical teams in place, the Head Coach would be required to conduct the exercise with members of the team.
But when the Black Bombers perform poorly and the Head Coach claims he has no idea about how the boxers were selected, certainly it leaves doubts in the mind of followers and stakeholders as to what is happening at Dauda Fuseini’s GBF.
Without a response from the GBF, a PRO from the previous administration filled that vacuum; stepping into the role with vim and vigour but with whose authority or permission, it has not been established.
This former PRO may have assumed the role out of his love and passion for the sport. Across both radio and television, he did his advocacy for the GBF until his status was questioned by the legendary broadcaster Fiifi Banson on Sporty FM.
“Are you a member of the GBF?” was the first question by the broadcaster.
And his response was “No, I’ve been a communicator for the Federation officially from 2020, and I’m still doing advocacy for them.”
“But you’re not a member of the GBF?” was the next.
Again, he responded in the negative, explaining that “I’m not an elected member of the GBF. I was appointed in 2020 with an official letter as their communicator and I’ve been doing that since 2020.”
The next question was: “Do they recognise you as their official communications person?
“Of course, the president and I communicate and he has not told me anything otherwise,” was his answer.
One would therefore ask why a ‘boxing advocate’ should be subjected to this kind of cross-examination.
The answer is simple; it is because Dauda Fuseini has failed to make an appointment to fill that void since he ascended the GBF throne in December 2025.
This must be brought to his attention because the office of the PRO is one that should not be taken for granted.
If the issues of the GBF are left to ordinary boxing aficionados, they would end up causing more harm than good to the GBF.
And maybe, with an official spokesperson in place, the federation can issue a comprehensive statement addressing preparation and selection of boxers to the Games and whether indeed Coach Asare was involved or not.
By Andrew Nortey
The Ghana Taekwondo Federation (GTF) on Tuesday presented citations to the president of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Mr Richard Akpokavie and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Sports Authority (NSA) Mr Yaw Ampofo Ankrah.
The gesture, according to Mr Frederick Lartey Otu, was to appreciate the support the federation had enjoyed from them over the years.
Especially to him were the advice and supervision the two entities offered in the build-up and during the GTF’s Elective Congress held on July 18.
Presenting the citation, Mr Lartey Otu thanked Mr Akpokavie and Mr Yaw Ampofo Ankrah for the special interest shown by the GOC and the NSA to ensure that the election went smoothly.
“We had a very fair and peaceful election. It may not have been possible without the roles you played. The process was very transparent, thanks to what you did for us.”
According to Mr Lartey Otu, special requests were made to the GOC and NSA to select representatives to constitute an election and vetting committee to make the exercise very transparent.
He said the GTF would continue to work closely with the two agencies responsible for sports development and promotion and continue to solicit their support in the bid to develop Taekwondo across all the regions of Ghana.
Responding on behalf of the GOC President, the Secretary General of the GOC, Mr Mohammed Kassim, thanked Mr Lartey Otu for the gesture.
“This is certainly not a presentation to the GOC President alone. We see it as a reward for our team work. That is how federations are supposed to work. It will ensure unity among the hierarchy,” he said.
Mr Kassim urged the new GTF executive to remain focused on their mandate and work hard to realise the dream for which they sought the help of delegate to assume office.
On his part, Mr Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, on behalf of the NSA thanked the GTF boss for the gesture.
He commended the peaceful manner the election was held and hoped that other federations would take useful lessons to better the process.
“The GTF showed a great deal of maturity and respect during the election. That is what we expect to see at the other federations. I want to urge you to build a succession plan to make your transition processes easier,” he stated.
Mr Ankrah pledges the NSA’s support in implementing their plans and programmes ahead of other impending major competitions.
BY ANDREW NORTEY
