Sports
Every word from Otto Addo’s pre-Sudan press conference
Otto Addo spoke to the media team on Monday, the day before we tackle Sudan in a Matchday 4 TotalEnergies 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Benina Martyrs Stadium in Libya.
He touched on belief, team spirit and passion in the qualifiers against Angola and Sudan, players reaction after the brilliant performance on Thursday, our strength and much more.
Read on for the full transcript:
On preparation and focus ahead of Tuesday
I was very satisfied with the training. I think the boys adapted well. They are already; they are willing to show what they can and to take the last result out of their heads. And I think it’s obvious that we need goals. We created a lot of chances against Angola. We deserved to win this game.
We didn’t play well against Niger. In the last game, I think we also deserved to win. Very unlucky, but there’s a speech in German, like, alle guten Dinge sind drei. So I think English is three times lucky. So I think we had two good games with Angola and also our last game with Sudan at home. And this is the third game now. And when we play the way we played the last game, we will win.
On what the team needs to return to winning ways
I think in Ghana it’s the same. The same impression. I think it was good that Angola won. If Niger would have won, it would have been put them ahead of us, and that would have been bad, I think. And now the situation is still in our hands and we need to win this very match tomorrow. And once we are second, I think we all know and we saw that we can beat all of those teams we played against. (1:40) But once we are second, I think it’s still in our own hands and this is what we are looking for. So we’re looking for tomorrow’s win and then we’ll be back on track.
On missing chances
I think we showed it in the last game. We don’t have to look too much back. I think the last game was, in terms of passion and willingness to win, it was there. But just the last thing was missing and this is to score goals. I think the boys are mentally ready and this is the only thing which is missing.
We have to score and we have to score and we have to believe in ourselves. This is very important. With this belief, goals will come. We just surely have to show consistency. Especially with the national team, there’s no time.
At the end, it’s all about success and all about winning and we have to show it. We didn’t win the last game or the last three games, so it’s time to win.
On what he expects from players by way of reaction
Like I said before, everything is there. The passion, the way we played, we created a lot of chances. We had a lot of corners and the players have to reward themselves for their performance and the hard work they’re showing.
It’s needed now. Like I said, everybody needs to step up. All the players need to push each other and those who are starting, those who are not starting. We need to believe in ourselves, push ourselves and trust ourselves and make each of us stronger. Then I think the goals will come by themselves.
On our strength
We have a good team structure, we have good players individually and now it’s about putting things together. It doesn’t mean like almost all the games we played well. This is normal, we can have bad games, but now it’s about to give this extra to win this game. To reward ourselves for the hard work and for the game the boys play. This is very important and with this, the vulnerabilities will come. I’m very sure that if we win this game, there’s more to come. We can pick up from the last game and bring the same attitude, the same defensive discipline, but also the same offensive actions to create chances. If we do this and do this consistently, this Sudan wall will break and we will score.
It’s about keeping the fire alive, it’s about believing and it’s about to know your own strength. Once we put it in our tactical togetherness and we know what the others are doing and we know what might happen, then we are there and we will fulfill our dream to win this game.
On luck being a factor in tomorrow’s game
It’s part of football, sometimes you’re lucky, sometimes you’re unlucky. It belongs to the game, but the probability is very high that you can’t be three times in a row unlucky.
I’m sure that, like I said, if we show the same attitude towards this game, the same beliefs, we have to be mentally strong, then I’m very sure we will win this game. The last game gives me really big confidence that we can do it.
Sports
Black Starlets arrives in Morocco on U-17 AFCON mission …FA boss charges team to make Ghana proud
The Black Starlets, the national U-17 male team, have safely arrived in Casablanca ahead of the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The team departed Accra on Wednesday, travelling with a 35-man contingent made up of 21 players and 14 officials, all focused on delivering a strong campaign on the continental stage.
They completed a smooth five-hour flight to Morocco, where final preparations will continue before the tournament kicks off.
The technical team is expected to fine-tune tactics and build cohesion among the squad as they gear up for the competition.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Mr Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, was present at the Accra International Airport to bid farewell to the team.
Speaking during a brief farewell at the Airport, the FA President urged the team to carry a ‘never say die’ spirit into the competition.
President Simeon-Okraku emphasised the importance of mental strength and unity, particularly in difficult moments during matches. His message was inspired by the team’s recent friendly encounters against Cote d’Ivoire, where they bounced back strongly after an initial defeat.
“I’m very happy that when you lost to Cote d’Ivoire in your first game during your friendly matches, you were able to bounce back—not only to dominate but to outscore them in the second game,” he said. “I read a lot of meaning into that, and I want all of you to keep that in your heads—that, it’s not over until it’s all over,” he added.
The FA president stressed that the ability to respond positively to setbacks would be crucial in a tournament as competitive as the AFCON.
He encouraged the players to stay united and support one another when the pressure intensifies on the continental stage.
“When the chips are down, that’s when we need to hold each other together,” Okraku added. “So go out there and make Ghana proud.”
Ghana will compete in Group D alongside Algeria, Senegal, and South Africa, with their opening match scheduled for Thursday, May 14.
Twenty-three (23) players have been called up for this month’s international friendly against Mexico.
The squad is composed of star players from the domestic league and European leagues who are closely monitored by Coach Carlos Queiroz, as well as U-23 players who will soon represent Ghana in the upcoming Olympic Games qualifiers.
Notable names include Majeed Ashimeru, Felix Afena-Gyan, Razak Simpson, and Birmingham City’s Ibrahim Osman.
Ashimeru returns to action after a long spell on the sidelines due to a muscle injury that limited his appearances at both club and national level.
Also in the team is Felix Afena-Gyan, whose last appearance for Ghana was in May last year when he featured against Trinidad and Tobago in the Unity Cup in London.
Barcelona B’s Abdul Aziz Issah, Ebenezer Annan of AS Saint-Étienne, Ibrahim Osman of Birmingham City, and Paul Reverson of Ajax FC have also been included in the squad.
Midfielder Salim Adams, one of the key players for Ghana Premier League leaders Medeama SC, leads the group of home-based players.
Others are Heart of Lions’ Ebenezer Abban, Ebenezer Adade of Dreams FC, and Nations FC captain Razak Simpson. Ghana will travel to Mexico for the international friendly on Friday, May 22, 2026.
