Otto Addo backs new Black Stars players to excel

Published on: 11 July 2022

Ghana coach, Otto Addo has backed the new six faces who have completed nationality switches to play for the Black Stars to succeed.

Last week, the Ghana Football Association [GFA] announced that Inaki Williams, Tariq Lamptey, Mohammed Salisu, Stephen Ambrosius, Ransford-Yeboah Koningsdorffer, and Patric Pfeiffer (SV Darmstadt 98) are all available for selection by the Black Stars technical team ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

The announcement has brought some excitement to the football circles in Ghana.

Addo, 46, speaking in an interview said incoming players know exactly what they’re getting into, and trust them to be successful for the national team.

“Since March we’ve been talking to a lot of players who we think can have an impact on the team,” he told the BBC.

“I can understand it can be a difficult decision, especially if you were born in another country and you’re young.

“It’s a lifetime decision, unlike at club level where you can play for several teams, so it’s very difficult and I understand them better, having been born in Germany.

“But we want those who have decided to get familiar with the team and the staff as soon as possible.

“So everybody who wants to join has to join now so they know exactly what they’re going to do,” he added.

Otto Addo also played down suggestions of the new players basing their decision to join on playing at the Qatar World Cup.

“It’s a tough decision and they know what they’re getting into. Surely it’s not just about this World Cup.

“It’s about more World Cups to come, AFCONs, winning and being successful, so it’s not just about this one World Cup.”

Ghana, who are in Group H will open their campaign against Portugal on November 24 at Stadium 974 in Doha.

Four days later, the Black Stars return to action with a clash with South Korea at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.

Ghana will wrap up their group stage adventure with their much-anticipated encounter with Uruguay at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah.

The Black Stars having missed out in the last edition hosted in Russia in 2018 will be hoping to improve their performance in Qatar after exiting the group phase during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

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