Otto Addo: Addressing weaknesses will secure bright future for Black Stars

Ghana coach Otto Addo is optimistic about the future of the Black Stars, provided they can address their weaknesses.

Following recent victories against Mali and Central African Republic (CAR), Addo acknowledged the team’s strong performance but highlighted ongoing defensive concerns.

“So first of all, even though we won, we still know that there’s a lot of things we can learn from. But also for the players to see and to believe in themselves, everything is possible,” Addo said in an exclusive interview with 3Sports.

Appointed earlier this year after Ghana’s disappointing exit from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in the group stage, Addo has faced the challenge of restoring the squad’s confidence. He appears to be making progress.

“We had a bad AFCON, so it was difficult to bring the belief back into the squad. And like I said, it’s always easy if we win and if things work out, so it was good how fast they adapted. I think it gives also the Ghanaians hope in the way we played, the way we fought, that we can win against every opponent,” he stated.

Got the tradional Black Stars coach interview out of the way pic.twitter.com/sff469opsD

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While noting the team’s progress, Addo recognises the gap between Ghana and top teams. “There’s a lot of potential and the gap to the top is still there, and if we can progress, and work on our weaknesses, then I think we have a bright future,” he admitted.

Addo emphasised that conceding goals was a team issue rather than just a defensive problem. “Everybody might talk about how it ended, but we have to start talking about the beginning. How was our counter-pressing? Did we stop them from putting balls behind our defensive line? So this is the consciousness I want to bring into the players, especially, but also into the spectators.”

Addo’s 34-month contract, with a potential extension, focuses on rebuilding the team. He has led Ghana out of a seven-game winless run with a comeback victory over Mali and a win against CAR.

These two wins have reignited hope for Ghana’s World Cup qualification chances. They are currently tied with group leaders Comoros at nine points with six qualifiers remaining.