Black Stars head coach, Otto Addo has justified his decision to name Mubarak Wakaso in his squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] qualifiers.
The 31-year-old who has not been active was shockingly named in the Black Stars 34-man squad for the games against Madagascar and the Central African Republic.
Wakaso’s inclusion in the squad has attracted widespread criticisms since he has been clubless after parting ways with Shenzhen FC on August 11, 2021.
The former Levante midfielder was unable to feature for Ghana at the AFCON 2021 and in the World Cup qualifying play-off against Nigeria due to injury. But, the ex-Granada man is fit and has been training with the Black Stars in Cape Coast.
And according to Otto Addo, Wakaso was named to the squad for the doubleheader due to his experience.
“We have some experienced players who showed that they have the quality. May I ask if you were there when we beat South Africa? How did you see his performance?,” Otto Addo quizzed a journalist at the pre-match presser, who responded, “It was great.”
“Ah ok. So, this is the answer,” Otto Addo added.
The Black Stars will open their AFCON 2023 qualifiers with a Group E encounter against Madagascar on Wednesday in Cape Coast with kick-off at 19:00GMT before facing the Central African Republic on June 5.