Otto Addo’s second coming did not immediately change the team’s lackluster display in any way but did what matters in the game of football – grinded the results to achieve the ultimate dream.

Otto Addo proved that he was a mastermind in plotting big wins. Just like he got that huge draw in Nigeria for the Qatar World Cup, he stunned Mali in front of their fans, registering a 2-1 win with goals from Ernest Nuamah and Jordan Ayew to change the dynamics in the group.

He followed it up with a 4-3 victory over Central Africa Republic with a hat-trick from Jordan Ayew and a goal from Fatawu Isshahaku to silence a stubborn CAR side.

From this stage, Ghana’s stranglehold in the group was seen and felt by all but strangely with inconsistent displays.

Otto Addo’s next assignment was a seemingly easy outing against Chad which the Stars won 5-0 with goals coming from Antoine Semenyo, Inaki Williams, Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Salisu, and substitute Ernest Nuamah.

Otto Addo’s unbeaten and impressive run continued as the Black Stars thrashed Madagascar 3-0 with Thomas Partey registering his name on the score sheet with a brace and Mohammed Kudus also scoring.

That amplified expectations of another demolition exercise ahead of the second leg tie with the whipping boys of the group, Chad, but that ended in disappointment after the Chadians pulled a late equaliser to draw 1-1.

It happened to be the only point Chad got from the qualifiers and also reignited conversations about Otto Addo’s quality.

However, the Black Stars bounced back with another spirited performance to trounce Central Africa Republic 5-0 in Morocco and finished off with a solitary goal victory over Comoros to climax the qualifying period that spanned over a year.

Judging by performance, one remains unconvincing about the team’s play and does not look like a team capable of making a huge impact at the global football extravaganza.

Otto Addo knows this more than any other person. At his post-match press conference, he admitted that the current team comes nowhere near the epoch-making South Africa 2010 team that reached the quarter-finals of the championship.

But at this point, it is important to know what the fans want; good performance against a result-oriented game plan. Clearly, those calling for Otto Addo’s crucifixion based on performance can be justified in a way as the team lacks rhythm and is still struggling to gel.

However, on the issue of the deliverables, he has passed with distinction, having supervised a side that is not appealing to watch but keeps getting the results to meet his target.

Without doubt, Otto Addo has improved the team’s discipline in both defence and attack. It became evident that in the case where the opposition poses threats, he finds a way to contain them and, at the same time, find a way to score and defend that slim lead.

With the same strategy, he was able to mastermind the thrashing of countries like Chad and CAR based on the formations they employ.

Qualification is now certain, and energies and discussions must focus on building a formidable team to represent Ghana at the championship.

Within this short space of time, various views have been expressed about which players should be selected. But just as it has always been, player selection should remain a preserve of the coach and no form of interference must be entertained.

Gradually, he is earning the respect and confidence of the players who are beginning to play for each other, and team performance is getting better.

What this means is that the team is beginning to gel, and with the right preparation, Coach Otto Addo can parade a team to do better than the squad he presented in Qatar. Eight months would be too short to bring a new replacement who would practically start from scratch.

In my view, give Otto Addo the nod.

By Andrew Nortey

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