The Black Stars is currently without a substantive coach following the exit of Germany-based gaffer Otto Addo after Ghana’s early exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Otto Addo announced his departure from the Black Stars after defeat to Uruguay, which derailed the four-time African champions chances of progressing to the knockout phase of the biggest soccer mundial.
Footballghana.com understands that six top coaches are up for the vacant Black Stars job with George Boateng and Chris Hughton who served under Otto Addo being included.
The duo faces a stiff competition from World-class coaches like Thomas Tuchel and Paulo Bento.
Both Thomas Tuchel and Paulo Bento are without a job following their exit from Chelsea and South Korea respectively.
The German trainer was shown the exit door at Chelsea over an unimpressive performance whiles the Portuguese coach stepped down after South Korea were booted out of the World Cup in Round of 16.
Meanwhile, Belgium coach Tom Saintfiet is among the six coaches shortlisted for the Black Stars job.
The 49-year-old is currently the manager of the Gambia national team. He qualified the country for their first Africa Cup of Nation qualification in 2021, leading them to a quarter-final finish.
Serbian trainer Dragan Stojković is also a key contender for the Black Stars coaching job.
The 57-year-old is currently the head coach of the Serbian national team and will hope to land the Black Stars job.
He led the Serbian team to the 2022 World Cup but were unable to booted out of the tournament along the line.
The Ghana FA is expected to name a new coach for the national team, knowing very well that there is an AFCON qualifier games set for March 2023.
The Black Stars were eliminated after the first round of the tournament following a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay.
After defeating South Korea in their second group game, the Black Stars needed a draw or win against Uruguay to advance to the last 16 stage.
But the team failed to negotiate for points against their ‘enemies’ Uruguay.
Ghana made a strong start to the game, but fell apart after captain Andre Ayew missed a penalty in the 21st minute, a repeat of what happened in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Prince Tagoe, a former forward for Ghana, maintains that Daniel Afriyie Barnieh shouldn’t rush into leaving Hearts of Oak for another team.
The most well-known player on the domestic scene is the former Rahimo forward, who has played for Ghana’s Under-20 team, Black Meteors, Black Galaxies, and the Black Stars.
The 21-year-old Ghana international whose current contract expire on December 17 is being chased by a host of clubs abroad.
Barnieh is struggling to agree a new contract at the club as he nears the expiration of his contract at Hearts of Oak.
The World Cup star has been discussing his future with the Ghanaian giants for the past one year but there is yet to be a major breakthrough in the negotiations.
At the moment, it is said talks have reached a stalemate and it is likely the forward will leave the Phobians when his contract expires on December 17.
Citing himself as an example having rejected an offer from Paris Saint Germain in 2016, the former Ghana striker entreated Barnieh not to rush to leave Hearts of Oak.
“I rejected an offer from PSG in 2006 to complete a season at Hearts of Oak and I was the top-scorer,” Prince Tagoe told Accra based Angel FM.
“I moved to Saudi Arabia for €2m the following year and had good offers from Europe. Afriyie Barnieh shouldn’t rush to leave Hearts of Oak.”
Abdul Razak, a veteran in Ghanaian football, has voiced his unhappiness at repeatedly being passed up for the Black Stars coaching position.
When he applies for the open position, the legendary Asante Kotoko player who believes he is qualified to manage the team has frequently been rejected.
“I have applied for the Black Stars job for three times with my CV. I’m a proud Ghanaian and not a foreigner. They’ve snubbed me all three times for reasons best known to them”
“I remember before the second coming of coach Kwesi Appiah, they asked interested coaches in the vacant Black Stars job to submit their CV’s which I did. After I applied, a journalist called me and told me on phone that he has seen my application but it’s unfortunate I won’t get the job. That was when realization hit me that it’s true I won’t get the job”
“I have achieved a lot both as a player and a coach. Football is all about winning trophies and it’s sad if a coach doesn’t win trophies”
Meanwhile, Abdul Razak believes the Black Stars could have won the Africa Cup of Nations that has eluded the country for many years if he had been in charge of the national team
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The Black Stars have come close to ending the trophy drought in the last decade, 2010 Angola losing to Egypt in the finals and in 2015 Equatorial Guinea- Gabon as the Stars lost to Ivory Coast on penalty shootout.
“What do we want to win? Cup of Nations, we would have won it if I were to be the coach of the Black Stars. Even if I will not give me the coaching job, let me be there in spirit with them and I believe wherever we want to go, we can”
“I cannot force them to give me the Black Stars job. I have not been given any job to do not to even serve on the management. I think my presence can push the boys”
Abdul Razak won the AFCON with the Black Stars in 1978 and was named the African Best Player of the year later in that year.
The Black Stars were eliminated after the first round of the tournament following a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay.
After defeating South Korea in their second group game, the Black Stars needed a draw or win against Uruguay to advance to the last 16 stage.
But the team failed to negotiate for points against their ‘enemies’ Uruguay.
Ghana made a strong start to the game, but fell apart after captain Andre Ayew missed a penalty in the 21st minute, a repeat of what happened in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The Black Stars is currently without a coach after the exit of Otto Addo
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has instructed its lawyers to institute legal action against persons who defame the Association, its officials, products and destroy the Black Stars brand as well as the media platforms used to do same.
According to the Association in a press release, the legal forum will provide the opportunity for such persons to bring any evidence to substantiate their allegations.
The GFA noted that its action stems from some individuals deliberately maligning and defaming the GFA and the Black Starsbrand in an attempt to manufacture a non-existent scandal about the team.
This erupted following the exit of the senior national team, the Black Stars from the on-going FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022.
After the Stars’ exit, the GFA apologised to the general public and all stakeholders and also indicated that we will continue with the positive lessons going into the future.
The Association noted that it “has since kept an open mind and continue to listen and receive comments, suggestions, and ideas from well-meaning Ghanaians both home and abroad for the improvement of the team.”
On the way forward, GFA says it will continue to encourage opinions and comments being expressed aimed at improving the team and the brand.
The market valuations of each Ghanaian player since the start of the season were examined by Homegrown Investments, an online financial counselor, to determine which player’s transfer value has climbed the highest since July 2022.
Salis Abdul Samed, who plays for the RC Lens has seen his market value increase by 105 million Ghana Cedis since July 2022 and is the Ghanaian player that has had the biggest increase in market value since then.
His current market value is now 150 million Ghana Cedis following his impressive performances in the French top division which earned him a place in Ghana’s squad for the World Cup.
In second place are the Ajax star player Mohammed Kudus and the Leicester City defender Daniel Amartey who have both seen their market value increase by 75 million Ghana Cedis.
Kudus was the one to watch in the Ghana team ahead of the World Cup after a blistering start to the 2022-23 season for Ajax in the Eredivisie and in the UEFA Champions League.
Top 5 value increases of team Ghana players since July 2022
Otto Addo stated that he feels honoured to have fulfilled his dream of coaching Ghana at the World Cup, in addition to playing for the Black Stars at the global tournament.
The former Ghana international was a member of the Ghana squad for their first tournament in Germany and made an appearance. Sixteen years later, he was in the dugout giving instructions to players as Ghana won one of three games in Qatar.
“16 years apart but the feeling is the same. It was always an honour and a blessing to represent the culture, hard work and the passion of our nation at the world stage. Let’s use the power of football and our love for the game to build and grow together. Ghana Osey!!!!” Addo wrote on Instagram.
Former Black Stars coach Otto Addo has expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to represent Ghana on the world stage as a player and as a coach.
Otto Addo started for Ghana as right midfielder in the 2006 FIFA World Cup game against the Czech Republic on 17 June 2006 at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, which Ghana won 2–0. In 2006 he played in Ghana’s 2–1 win over the United States at the Frankenstadion in Nuremberg.
After retiring he was appointed as a head scout of the Ghana national football team prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
The Ghana Football Association announced on 9 February 2022 that Otto Addo has been named temporary coach of the Black Stars ahead of the team’s 2022 FIFA World Cup final play-off matches against Nigeria.
After drawing 1-1 with Nigeria’s Super Eagles on March 29, 2022 at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, he qualified Ghana (on away goals) for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. On March 25, the Black Stars of Ghana drew 0-0 with the Super Eagles at the Baba Yara Stadium.
His tenure was extended after guiding Ghana past the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Ghana won one game against South Korea and lost two against Portugal and Uruguay. After the Uruguay game, Otto Addo announced his departure.
Former Ghanaian international Shilla Illiasu believes that if a top coach is in charge of the team, the current Black Stars group will be a force to be reckoned with.
He has urged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to select a quality coach to lead the national team in order to achieve this.
“So, the Ghana Football Association has to make sure this time we are contracting a top coach for the Black Stars,” Shilla Illiasu said.
According to him, the Ghana squad which is dominated by talented young players has a bright future and will do the country proud.
“I think first of all Ghana we are fortunate to have one of the youngest squads as afar as Qatar 2022 is concerned. What it means is that as far as the future is concerned, we are up there,” Shilla Illiasu told Class Sports.
The former defender added, “What we need is – I made it clear from the onset, we need someone to be a coach, not a part-time coach, someone to guide them [the players] for the next 3 to 4 years, give him the project, give him the time, give him the plan, let him understand the task at hand, that’s what we need.
“Because you look at the calibre of our players, right now they need somebody to guide them.
Many Ghanaian women have expressed interest in getting married to the Ajax star and are gushing about Mohammed Kudus.
The Ajax midfielder contributed to three goals throughout the World Cup in Qatar tournament, helping the Black Stars advance out of the group stage by scoring two goals and setting up one.
The 23-year-old made a huge impact in his first major tournament for the Ghana national team, and also send signals to top European clubs with his performances ahead of the January transfer window.
Kudus has gotten the attention of the ladies being the star player for the Ghana national team at the tournament.
Just like Junior Agogo during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations hosted in Ghana, Kudus is the most sought after gentleman in the country.
Kudus images and videos has gone viral mainly because of marriage proposal from some Ghanaian ladies on social media.
One lady on her post shared a wedding invitation which had Mohammed Kudus as the groom to be.
Very hilarious but the former Nordsjaelland midfielder is the hottest and most wanted boy in the country.
Salis Abdul Samed wants the Black Stars‘ new coach to stick with the present lineup despite the team’s World Cup group stage elimination.
After falling to Uruguay 2-0 on Friday, the four-time African champions were eliminated from the competition.
Ghana finished bottom of Group H with three points after losing to Portugal and Uruguay, having beaten South Korea in between.
“It was a good experience for us. We learnt many things from it [World Cup].”
“We don’t know one another much but if we continue to keep this group we will get better,” Samed told Daily Graphic.
“We need to work together and be more compact when we’re defending and help each other as we did against Portugal – the first half they got zero chance, but scored in the second half through counter-attacks when we had more spaces between us.”
Otto Addo will leave his post as Ghana coach at the end of December 2022.
Despite only playing three games, Ghana’s World Cup was exciting.
Before being eliminated from the campaign with a 2-0 loss to Uruguay, the Black Stars took part in two thrilling five-goal games against Portugal and South Korea.
The goalkeeper gave a decent account of himself, even if some of the stops against South Korea seemed theatrical.
Could have done better with Luis Suarez’s initial effort that saw Uruguay score their first in the group decider.
It was a commendable tournament nonetheless as Ati-Zigi only became the first choice due to injuries to Joe Wollacott and Richard Ofori.
Danlad Ibrahim (N/A)
The goalkeeper did not feature in the finals in Qatar.
Manaf Nurudeen (N/A)
The 23-year-old shot-stopper played no part in the global showpiece.
Centre-backs
Mohammed Salisu (7.5/10)
The Southampton centre-back was largely outstanding on his tournament debut for Ghana. He was unlucky to concede a penalty in the opening game, although he gave the referee a decision to make after going tight on Cristiano Ronaldo.
His no-nonsense approach saw him make more clearances than any member of the side and ranked third for ball recoveries in the Ghana squad.
It would be remiss to not remember Salisu’s goal and subsequent goalmouth clearance in the 3-2 win over South Korea when the Black Stars defended their slender advantage.
Daniel Amartey (7/10)
Amartey may not be everyone’s cup of tea but he gave as good as he got in Qatar, especially impressing with his passing range.
He matched Salisu for recoveries (15) despite playing fewer minutes than his centre-back partner and played an important part in their ball progression from deep.
Alexander Djiku (5.5/10)
The Strasbourg defender produced adequate performances in his two appearances, although he made only one start at centre-back as Otto Addo favoured Salisu and Amartey at centre-back.
Joseph Aidoo (N/A)
The centre-back did not feature in the finals.
Full-backs
Abdul Rahman Baba (6/10)
Often looked half a yard slow defensively but was often crucial to the Black Stars going forward.
Only Thomas Partey was involved in more open play passes leading to shots than the left-back (6-5), who was outdone by the Arsenal man for progressive passes.
Baba intermittently got stick but he was not as bad as perceived.
Alidu Seidu (6/10)
Effectively a centre-back playing at right-back and right wing-back, the Clermont Foot defender may have been underwhelming against Portugal but played commendably in the 2-0 defeat by Uruguay.
Tariq Lamptey (4/10)
The right-back had a below-par outing in Qatar, failing to pull up trees after coming on against Portugal, was overloaded down the right against South Korea and played no part in the decider vs Uruguay.
Was Lamptey’s absence of game time preceding the competition responsible for an underwhelming showing?
Gideon Mensah (5.5/10)
Mensah made just one appearance in Qatar, replacing Baba Rahman as left-back versus South Korea and was involved in the move leading to Mohammed Kudus’ winning goal.
Denis Odoi (N/A)
Came on for the final 13 minutes against South Korea. The Club Brugge right-back did not play enough minutes in Ghana’s World Cup campaign.
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Midfielders
Thomas Partey (8/10)
The Arsenal man somehow got criticism despite a good individual showing at the World Cup.
No player played more passes into the final third (18), played more progressive passes (14) or was involved in more open-play involvements leading to shot attempts.
Only Kudus made more ball recoveries than Partey (22-21), further suggesting the Partey reprimand was unwarranted.
Mohammed Kudus (8.5/10)
Undoubtedly Ghana’s best player in Qatar, the Ajax man was arguably the team’s entire attacking strategy at times.
He was involved in their first goal against Portugal and netted twice in the 3-2 win over the South Koreans.
No Black Star outshone Kudus.
Salis Abdul Samed (6.5/10)
The midfielder had a shaky start against Uruguay but recovered versus South Korea and Portugal to produce an acceptable showing at the World Cup.
Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (5/10)
The Freiburg attacking midfielder played every game, with all three being cameos. Barely got involved.
Elisha Owusu (N/A)
Owusu played no part in Qatar.
Forwards
Jordan Ayew (7/10)
Even though the Crystal Palace man was culpable in one of Portugal’s goals in the 3-2 defeat, he was instrumental in all three goals the Black Stars scored vs the Taegeuk Warriors. Indeed, his assist for Kudus’ first was arguably the assist of the group phase.
It was also Jordan’s shot against Uruguay that led to the chaos that ensued before the Ajax man won the ill-fated penalty that was not converted.
Andre Ayew (5.5/10)
Ghana’s 2022 World Cup may be remembered for Andre’s tame first-half penalty against Uruguay, as it potentially denied the West Africans qualification.
The forward scored Africa’s first goal of the competition against Portugal but that turned out to be the high of his participation in Qatar.
Inaki Williams (5/10)
The Athletic Club forward struggled in front of goal, with his slip against Portugal at the death costing an equaliser and a miscue against South Korea almost costing a winner.
Williams has never been prolific, so his failure to score in Qatar was not especially surprising.
Kamaldeen Sulemana (5/10)
Sulemana impressed at the finals with his ball-carrying and dribbling. Unfortunately could not instigate a comeback against Uruguay despite coming on for 45 minutes.
Osman Bukari (5.5/10)
The wide attacker halved the deficit against Portugal but it was not to be. Against the South Americans, Bukari came on for Andre Ayew after halftime but could not bring about a turnaround.
Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (N/A)
Issahaku played only a minute in Qatar, coming on in the closing stages of the 2-0 defeat by Uruguay.
Daniel Afriyie (N/A)
The teenager was unused in all three games.
Kamal Sowah (N/A)
Was one of seven players who did not get on the pitch for Otto Addo.
Getty Images
Manager
Otto Addo (6/10)
While Ghana’s play appeared chaotic at times and Addo’s team struggled to control games in many instances, they came within a Williams leveller versus the Selecao or an Andre Ayew penalty conversion to secure progress to the last 16.
That said, an egregious call to withdraw Kudus in the loss at the hands of the Selecao was ill-timed even if the Ajax man had already been booked.
The 47-year-old resigned in the aftermath but he probably wonders what might have been.
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Shortly after Ghana’s 0-2 defeat to Uruguay in the final Group H encounter in Qatar, a stern-looking Otto Addo appeared at the post-match press conference willing to badly get something off his chest.
After being introduced to the press, Otto minced no words after a journalist asked if he was going to step down. He answered “I will step down from my position as it was agreed on in May” He was clear in his mind that the news will be no surprise to his employers having stated in many ways before the World Cup that he was still committed to his role at German giants Borussia Dortmund. For the record Otto Addo is a talent coach and second assistant at Dortmund.
He will explain details of his resignation at a presser a day after, but amidst Ghana’s rough 2022 World Cup post-mortem it’s worth noting that Addo left behind a squad that has the potential to reach unthinkable heights in the coming years.
Coming in at such a tricky time, 26 days prior to announcing Otto as Interim Ghana coach ahead of the World Cup qualifiers, the Black Stars had just put up their worst performance at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. In Garoua, the Black Stars lost 3-2 to tiny Comoros and rounded up their tournament without recording a win in a group that housed Morocco, Gabon and Comoros.
In the stands that night, many Ghanaians were hopeful the Stars could even draw when goals from Richmond Boakye and Alexander Djiku levelled the game up for Ghana, but Mogni grabbed a winner with five minutes remaining. Ghana exited the group stage of the competition in 2006, failed to go past the round of 16 in 2019, but not winning a single game meant that was on paper the most dreadful performance by the four time African champions.
The man who supervised the debacle, Milovan Rajevac, was fired despite his desire to stay on. Next for Ghana was a tricky World Cup playoff game against Nigeria who exited the AFCON competition in the round of 16 but played much better than Ghana. Addo accepted the job with a huge risk of possibly ending his entire career with the big derby coming up – yes, qualifying to the World Cup will make him a Ghanaian hero but failing will surely be the end of his career on these shores – the unwritten rules were quite clear.
He was appointed as an interim manager alongside two-time Ghana Premier League champion Didi Dramani, Aston Villa U23 coach, George Boateng and the experienced English Premier League manager, Chris Houghton playing the role as a Technical Adviser on February 9.
Romance after the Jollof derby
Otto’s first job was to surmount the Nigerian hurdle or be truly forgotten. His employers where keen as well because, missing the World Cup after a poor showing at the AFCON in the minds of ordinary football fans would “mean not good enough” for the job. Ghanaians were skeptic of the Black Stars because of their poor displays in Cameroon. Ghana settled for a 0-0 draw after VAR overruled a decision to award the Super Eagles a penalty in the first leg of the playoff in Kumasi. A review of the decision in the closing stages of the Jollof derby found that Ghana midfielder Iddrisu Baba was fouled before he handled the ball.
In the return leg in Abuja, a long range shot by Thomas Partey ensured Ghana won the tie (1-1) on away goals to book a ticket to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The World Cup ticket also meant an elevation from interim Ghana coach to substantive manager for Otto Addo – He was going to be at the mundial with his initial 5 man technical team.
Building a new squad
Ghana’s performance against Nigeria looked a lot more organized but was still far from perfect which meant the approaching weeks and months were huge windows for augmenting the squad.
He led a wild charge by the Ghana Football Association to get international players of Ghanaian descent to switch nationality. Four months before competing at the World Cup, the Ghana Football Association announced five new recruits who were now eligible to play for the Black Stars in Qatar.
Brighton & Hove Albion defender Tariq Lamptey, who had played for England Under-21s, Hamburger SV pair Stephan Ambrosius and Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer who both represented Germany Under-21s, Athletic Bilbao forward, Iñaki Williams who played one friendly for Spain, and Germany-based player Patrick Pfeiffer a forward at Darmstadt all committed to Ghana. Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu, who initially turned down a Black Stars call-up, also agreed to be called by the technical handlers of the Black Stars ahead of the 2022 FIFA Mundial in November.
The extensive scouting will ensure that in-form Racing Lens midfielder, Salis Abdul Samed and Club Brugge’s Kamal Sowah will be called for the competition.
Friendlies games against Brazil (0-3), Nicaragua (1-0), Switzerland (2-0) and the Kirin cup in Japan were not enough. But all the technical team had to do was fine tune the team for Qatar. Ghana arrived at the mundial as the lowest ranked team (61st) and the youngest squad.
What had changed under Otto Addo?
I followed Otto Addo’s Black Stars so closely to make key observations that were consistent throughout the tenure. The regard for time massively improved with a mini schedule released 24hours prior. The technical team and players stuck to the rigid schedule and were constantly on time throughout their stay in camps.
Imposed fines institutionalized by the technical team were so strict that even if one of them showed up late, punishment followed. Upon interaction with some members of technical team who had worked with previous Black Stars coaches, the attention to details and major meetings of the Otto Addo regime was novel. At close gauge, I saw the technical team meet close to 4 times a day while in camp physically to deliberate over many issues concerning the team. Even when they were at their respective bases they would jump onto a zoom call for hours to get on the same page regarding many fluid situations.
There was efficient distribution of tasks among the technical team with medical team reporting the latest on the team’s health daily. On the training ground, I could see the four –man technical team work on different aspects of the team. The Black Stars camp felt organized , with players and the technical team very much informed about what was about to happen next . The usual fun including the initiation dances stayed and the camp was usually buzzing.
Lack of Cohesion – bane of World Cup 2022
While the criticism comes in hard for Ghana’s performance at the 2022 World cup, it’s worth reminding ourselves of where this team was coming from.
The standards for judging Ghana at the World Cup must surely be the maiden appearance in 2006 where the team exited at Round of 16 and 2010 when Ghana only missed out on the semifinals. In 2006, Ghana assembled a squad that had formed wonderful bonds and understanding from their days at youth level.
Ghana’s 2001 U20 side produced 7 out of the 23 man squad in Germany 2006. Derek Boateng Sulley muntari, Razak Pimpong, Micheal Essien, John Mensah, John Painstil and Emmanuel Pappoe were all part of the silver winning U 20 world cup squad and made the cut to Germany. These were easily the stars of the world Cup. In Ghana’s crucial do or die game against Czech Republic 5 of them started in crucial areas – Derek Boateng, Sulley Muntari, Michael Essien, John Mensah, John Painstil – and helped Ghana to an important win and the round of 16. The team had formed bonds since their youth playing days and knew each other for well 6 years before the World Cup.
The story of the 2010 World Cup was no different. About half of the 2006 World Cup squad were back in South Africa and with huge experience playing at the top level. Augmenting the squad was a select group of players from Ghana’s 2009 Un 20 World Cup winning team – Samuel Inkoom, Jonathan Mensah, Dominic Adiyah, and Emmanuel Agyemang Badu. Even before the World Cup, the young group had the chance to try out with the seniors at the 2009 CHAN competition and the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations under the same coach – Milovan Rajevac. So the team had the opportunity to strike levels of cohesion before the 2010 World Cup began. The results of 2010 world Cup speaks for itself.
Even in 2014, about 40 percent of the Ghana’s 2010 World Cup made the squad in Brazil. So historically the Black Stars have had teams represent Ghana at the World Cup with history and some experience. However 2022 was the exact opposite.
A World Cup too soon for this squad?
Maybe yes, even though many widely believe Ghana could have made the knock out round. Traditional Ghana does a poor job of keeping squads together irrespective of their age group when competitions end up in disappointment. So after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup there was real trouble with keeping a consistent squad.
Ghana exited the 2019 AFCON at the round of 16 stage following a defeat to Tunisia which further destabilized the boat. Black Stars failed to win a game at the 2021 AFCON in Cameroun which was termed a disaster. In a short space of time, the Black Stars had seen as many as four coaches ( Kwasi Appiah, CK Akonor, Milovan Rajevac and Otto Addo. That meant continuity was a headache and the nucleus of the Black Stars kept changing.
So the key issue with this assembled group of players for the World Cup was not a lack of quality or potential but lack of playing time together, quite literally. Otto’s men were many miles off the cohesion needed at such a high level competition. All Ghana group opponents (Uruguay, Portugal and South Korea) were at the 2018 World Cup so somewhat had a squad to fall on for cohesion and team chemistry in Qatar.
The nucleus of Ghana’s Squad for the Ghana-Nigeria 2022 World Cup qualifiers appeared to be the blue print around which Coach Otto Addo’s new team would evolve, but there were more additions and subtractions such that the team that started at the World Cup against Portugal had six new faces in Lawrence Ati Zigi , Baba Rahman, Alidu Seidu, Salis Abdul Samed, Inaki Williams and Mohammed Salisu.
These faces were not accidentals, in fact, they were about the framework around which players where introduced deep into games in Qatar. Otto and his team were unlucky with injuries, first and second choice goalkeepers Jojo Wollacot and Richard Ofori picked up knocks, Baba Iddrissu, who had formed a partnership of a sort with Thomas Partey was also unavailable and meant quick replacements. Time to assemble a team after the World Cup qualifiers was rare.
There were two AFCON 2024 qualifiers against Madagascar and Central Africa republic, a Kirin cup tourney in Japan quickly followed, but largely without key players in early June. The next window was in late September and October where Ghana played Brazil and Nicaragua with still some key names missing. The team had to soon Camp for the World Cup and this time, the full squad including newbies like Salis Abdul Samed and Kamal Sowah were drafted in.
The lack of time to play together as a team and find the right understanding on the pitch was pretty obvious but this squad looks promising.
Pregnant with Titles
Ghana’s best performances have come from a well-knit squad with bundles of experience and cohesion developed from competition time together. The 2006 and 2010 World Cup tournaments are perfect examples of this.
The composition of Otto’s squad for the 2022 World Cup inspires more hope for the coming years. The Black Stars squad was the youngest at the mundial with an average age of 26 years. It was also by far the most inexperienced side Ghana has ever assembled for a World Cup with 24 out of the 26 participating at the competition for the first time. Only captain, Andre Dede Ayew and his brother, Jordan Ayew had tasted World Cup action before.
The balance of the squad was another strong reason to believe this team is worth keeping. In the goalkeeping department the absence of Richard Ofori and Jojo Wollacot gave Lawrence Ati Zigi the chance to prove that he’s not far off. In central defense Ghana can boast of Daniel Amartey (Leicester City), Alexander Djiku (Strasbourg), Salisu (Southampton) and Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo) who all good and could only get better with time. At right back, Alidu Seidu (Clermont) who starred at the World Cup shares the spot with Tariq Lamptey (Brighton). Even 34-year-old Dennis Odoi (Brugge) offers an option though he may not be around for long.
At left-back the heavily vilified Baba Rahman (Reading) is seconded by Gideon Mensah (Auxerre) who looked great against South Korea. Deep in midfield the partnership between Thomas Partey (Arsenal) and Salis Abdul Samed (Racing Lens) can be nurtured – not forgetting Baba Idrissu (Mallorca) who got injured ahead of the tourney and the Elisha Owusu (Gent KAA) who didn’t feature in Qatar. On the right side of attack, there’s Jordan Ayew (Crsytal Place), Club Brugge’s Kamal Sowah and Sporting’s Fatawu Issahaku who will get much better with time – On the left wing Kamaldeen Sulemana (Rennes), Osman Bukari (Red Star Belgrade), Antoine Semenyo(Bristol City) are all exciting wingers with pace and enough tricks to outwit defenders in one on one situations. Upfront Inaki Williams (Athletic Club) and Dede Ayew (Al Sadd) can do a job.
Surely this team needs few tweaks and more time to develop the right chemistry. The squad managed to win Ghana’s first game at the World Cup since 2010, and suffered together against Portugal and Uruguay. These are key experiences that help the growth of a squad – they have learnt more about each other the hard way and this is invaluable for team this young.
Keep this group together
Expectation for the Ghana at the World Cup went through the roof after a 2-0 win against Switzerland. But in fairness a squad as inexperienced as Otto’s could only punch above their weight to make the knock out phase. The win against South Korea was inspiring and possibly did wet the appetite of many fans who felt making the Round of 16 was a must.
Yes, Ghana could have finished second and played against Brazil in the Round of 16 but nothing more really. It’s time to stop the ranting and let the planning begin around a squad which is pregnant with titles.
The Dortmund coach took leadership of the Black Stars for six months before leaving.
Addo who qualified Ghana to the tournament after beating Nigeria in the World Cup playoffs announced he would not be extending his contract after the World Cup.
He announced his resignation following Ghana’s 2-0 defeat to Uruguay on Friday at the post match conference.
Speaking to Graphic Sports Kurt Okraku hinted that the country’s football governing body would take its time to consider the options available to engage the key stakeholders, including the government, before arriving at the best candidate for the job.
He also hinted that such an important announcement would not be made before the end of the year, especially as the senior national team would not have any immediate engagement before their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Angola next March in Luanda.
Earlier, the FA Vice-President, Mark Addo, told the media that the FA would first wait for the technical report from Otto Addo to be laid before the FA’s decision-making Executive Council for deliberation before initiating the process of appointing the next national team coach.
“We knew that Coach (Otto Addo) will be leaving in six months, so we do have a succession plan,” Mr Addo told a media briefing in Doha last Saturday.
“We’re just going through the process, it’s a process and you know the GFA works with different stakeholders in this decision-making process.
“Like I said, the first thing is to. get our report in quickly, have a meeting with our stakeholders, including the President, the Executive Council and Government and once that is done, we will make a decision on his successor. So yes, we have a plan,” the FA vice-president stated.
Ghana exited the tournament with three points after recording two defeats and one win.
Following its defeat by Uruguay in the final Group H match last Friday, Ghana was eliminated from the World Cup
The Black Stars needed only a point to progress but a first half brace from Flamengo star Giorgian de Arrasteca sent Ghana packing.
Despite the elimination, PFAG released a statement commending the team for their ‘acts of heroism and sacrifice’.
“The Professional Footballers Association of Ghana wishes to commend the players and technical team the senior national team, the Black Stars, following elimination from the ongoing World Cup in Qatar,” wrote the PFAG.
“The exit has been extremely challenging for all us to take in.
“As the mother body for the professional footballers in the country, the PFAG is extremely proud of our gallant warriors as they represented the nation at its fourth appearance on global football’s grandest stage.
“You showed countless act of heroism and sacrifice, and this gives us all a renewed hope going into the future,” the letter continued.
The four-time African champions will now switch their attention to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Milovan Rajevac was fired as head coach of the Black Stars after Ghana’s disappointing showing at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] in Cameroon, and the talent coach of Borussia Dortmund was confirmed as the team’s new boss.
Addo however masterminded the country’s qualification to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but has exited the group phase with just three points.
“Before I started to work for the GFA, everybody knew and I said it before that I have a contract with Dortmund and I have to respect that,” he told the Ghana FA website.
“Even to come here, it was difficult and the GFA put in a lot of effort to release me and at the end, they came back themselves to Dortmund to speak to the board.
“And at the end, they decided to release me for this task,” he added.
A 3-2 defeat against Portugal and a win over South Korea by the same margin plus a 2-0 final Group H loss saw the West Africans exit the tournament in Qatar with three points.
Some Black Stars players have turned to their social media accounts to apologise to Ghanaians ,following the team’s elimination from the ongoing 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Last Friday’s group stage elimination match between Ghana and Uruguay ended in a 2-0 loss for Ghana.
It was the second consecutive time the Black Stars exited the World Cup on the group stage.
Most Ghanaian fans were left disappointed after an impressive performance against South Korea in the second group match which the team won 3-2.
The game against Uruguay was declared a revenge match after the first meeting between the two sides 12 years ago.
The South American side denied Ghana a semi-final berth in that competition following a Luis Suarez handball and a resultant penalty kick missed by Asamoah Gyan.
Despite the promises to beat Uruguay in the final group game the Black Stars succumb to another defeat.
After the game, Black Stars captain Andre Ayew and some players have apologized and also thanked the fans for the support during the tournament.
The Ghana Football Association were the first to issue the apology after the team’s exit from the competition.
“We regret our inability to progress to the knockout phase of the competition and offer our profound apologies to the government, the people of Ghana and all stakeholders across the globe.
“We believe that valuable lessons have been learnt from our qualification and participation in the tournament and aim to continue with the positives going into the future”.
Dede Ayew
Our final group match result was not what we were looking forward to in the tournament,but unfortunately, it ended up this way.
I am very, very proud of all teammates for putting up a wonderful team spirit on and off the pitch, off the pitch, for our country Ghana.
Personally, it’s has been difficult moments for me in the past few days. I lost my godson the morning before the Portugal game and my daughter was also rushed to the hospital after the Uruguay game. Thanks to the Almighty Allah she is getting better. These difficult moments will inspire me come back stronger and better in the future, and so I believe with the Black Stars
Thomas Partey
It was our biggest wish to give Ghanaians something to cheer about but unfortunately it didn’t go as we wanted.
I want to say a huge thank you for the unconditional support from home and across the world.
With the support of God we will come back stronger.🙏
Osman Bukari
I am so grateful for the opportunity given to me to serve my country at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Hard to accept we couldn’t go far. Lessons have been learnt. Thank you Ghana for your immense support and love. I fervently believe we’ll come back stronger!
Tariq Lamptey
I thank God for this moment and the opportunity we have been given, we would have liked things to have turned out differently but Godstiming is best. We’ll use this as more motivation and work even harder.
A big thank you to everyone for all the support, really appreciate it.
Alidu Seidu
I want to give glory to Allah for allowing me to represent the colors of 🇬🇭 one of the greatest Gift football has given me.Sad the goal was not achieved but alhamdulillah. Thanks to everyone who supported me and the team 🇬🇭
Daniel Amartey says due to the history between the Ghana and Uruguay at the World Cup, it was it was important for the Black Stars to deny the South Americans a place in the round of 16.
Ghana skipper Andre Ayew missed a penalty in the 21st minute as his kick was saved by Uruguay goalkeeper Sergio Rochet following a foul on Mohammed Kudus.
Uruguay went on to win the game 2-0 thanks to goals from Giorgio de Arrascaeta in the 26th and 32nd minutes of the game but it was not enough as teams went out of the tournament.
“I just told my teammates: ‘We need a goal but they also need a goal. So we have to defend for ourselves so that if we can’t go, they don’t go,” Amartey said after the game.
“For me, yes. It was tough because you can see their centre back, everybody comes (forward).
“Uruguay needed one goal to go through but you can see we defended four against five or three against two but we managed to defend.”
Contrary to claims that some players were selected for the World Cup upon the request of Kurt Okraku, Otto Addo who resigned as Black Stars coach less than an hour after Ghana’s defeat has refuted that claim.
According to the Borussia Dortmund assistant coach, Kurt Okraku gave him free hands to do the work as he deemed fit and he is grateful for the trust and the opportunity to serve.
“I want to thank the President Kurt Okraku for giving me this chance and for letting me do my work the way I wanted, I really appreciate this. This was the best circumstance I would like to work,” Otto Addo said at his post-match conference quoted by footballghana.com.
“We have to thank the Almighty God for giving us this opportunity and for giving us a team like this. I am very, very proud of the boys, they gave their all. Sometimes it’s bad luck, this is also part of football.”
“I would like to thank the whole technical staff for supporting me in the best way they could. This was a really solid and loyal unit, everybody worked a lot, nobody sees this. There was a lot of work behind the scenes preparing for this World Cup and also preparing for the qualification,” he added.
Otto Addo supervised 12 games as the head coach of the Black Stars since he was appointed as the interim manager to lead the team for the FIFA World Cup playoffs against the Super Eagles of Nigeria in March 2022.
He won three out of the 12 games, lost five, and drew the remaining four matches which include the doubleheader against the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
The Black Stars were eliminated after the first round of the tournament following a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay.
After defeating South Korea in their second group game, the Black Stars needed a draw or win against Uruguay to advance to the last 16 stage.
But the team failed to negotiate for points against their ‘enemies’ Uruguay.
At the post-match conference, the Germany-based trainer announced he has stepped down as coach of the Black Stars to concentrate on his role as the talent development coach of Dortmund.
Ghana international, Elisha Owusu, says the Black Stars will look to playwith more hunger in their next assignment following their elimination from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Black Stars suffered a group-stage exit in Qatar following their 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in their final group game at the Al Janoub Stadium on Friday, December 2.
Ghana needed a draw to stand a chance of progress from the group heading into the final game but that result proved a difficult task as they succumbed to defeat.
Reacting to the exit, Owusu, who was one of six not to have gotten any minutes from the three games, said the team will be back better than ever while also thanking the fans for their support.
“First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge and thank our great fans for their consistently amazing support throughout the tournament,” he wrote on his Instagram page.
“Although we were not able to qualify, I am proud of my teammates for the hard work they put in on and off the pitch. I am sure with this determination and fight, that we will be back to give the wonderful fans of Ghana the performances they deserve.
“On a personal note, I am very thankful to have experienced the World Cup as this has always been a dream of mine. This would not be possible without God, which is why I am always grateful. I will continue to put in the hours off the pitch to ensure the future is bright.
“The Black Stars will be back stronger and hungrier than ever!” he added.
The exit from the group stage now means Ghana has suffered back-to-back exits in the first round of the World Cup in their last two apearances.
Before Ghana’s game against Uruguay, the prophet had predicted the Black Stars will progress to the next stage of the 2022 World Cup regardless of the outcome of the results.
But his prediction hit a snag as the Black Stars suffered defeat in their final group game against Uruguay which derailed their chances of advancing to the next stage.
“Ghana will not lose their match to South Korea but Ghanaians must not engage in betting. God’s word for football is not for betting,” he stated.
“Ghana is already in the next round. Even if Uruguay scores the first goal, Ghanaians will, at the end of the match have the celebration. There shall be celebration all over Ghana. God is for Ghana,” he said.
After defeating South Korea in their second group game, the Black Stars needed a draw or win against Uruguay to advance to the last 16 stage.
But the team failed to negotiate for points against their ‘enemies’ Uruguay
This would not be the first time Prophet Badu Kobi has hit a miss in predicting the result of a football match.
In July 2021, Badu Kobi had prophesied that Brazil would win the Copa America title ahead of Argentina but that proved to be false as Lionel Messi led his charges to beat Brazil at the Maricana Stadium thanks to an Angel Di Maria strike.
During the final match of the Euro 2020, Prophet Badu Kobi again predicted that England was going to beat Italy to win the coveted cup.
According to him, he saw the favour of God was upon Gareth Southgate’s men who were set to beat Italy.
“Today, England will beat Italy,” Prophet Badu Kobi said on Sunday, hours before the final match at Wembley.
“I will say it again. That is the work of a prophet. Keep saying what God is saying.”
However, at the end of the fixture which went into extra time after a 1 – 1 score in normal time, it was Roberto Mancini’s Italy who triumphed 3-2 on penalties to win the tournament.
Following a decision to ignore a penalty appeal by referee Daniel Siebert, after a challenge on Cavani in the penalty box.
Players from the Uruguay camp hounded the official, making their feelings known about what they thought of the decision.
But Cavani and Jose Gimenez were at the forefront of the protestation with both players likely to receive sanctions.
According to reports, the duo will be hit with match bans by the world football governing body (FIFA) which is likely to be at the international level.
This means Cavani and Jimenez will be available for both Valencia and Atletico Madrid at club level.
Meanwhile, the German referee has also come under intense pressure for ignoring the penalty appealed by Uruguayans during the clash.
While Siebert has been a referee at the highest level since 2015, the tournament in Qatar represents his first big test.
Given the lack of control he exerted during Uruguay’s game against Ghana, the German is unlikely to officiate any games during the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup.
The Black Stars were eliminated after the first round of the tournament following a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay.
After defeating South Korea in their second group game, the Black Stars needed a draw or win against Uruguay to advance to the last 16 stage.
But the team failed to negotiate for points against their ‘enemies’ Uruguay.
The 22-year-old was one of the revelations for the tournament for the Black Stars.
Alidu Seidu was playing in his first major tournament for the Black Stars where he excelled beyond expectations.
The Clermont Foot defender made his World Cup debut against Portugal at the Stadium 974 which Ghana lost 3-2.
Seidu played 180 minutes for Ghana in the matches between Portugal and Uruguay and was outstanding despite the Black Stars defeat in the two games.
In a post on his social media page, the defender thanked the fans for the support in his first World Cup campaign.
“I want to give glory to Allah for allowing me to represent the colors of one of the greatest gift football has given me. Sad the goal was not achieved but alhamdulilah. Thanks to everyone who supported me and the team”.
I want to give glory to Allah for allowing me to represent the colors of 🇬🇭 one of the greatest Gift football has given me.Sad the goal was not achieved but alhamdulillah. Thanks to everyone who supported me and the team 🇬🇭 #QatarWorldCup2022pic.twitter.com/lkHIXfqBOY
Ghana winger Osman Bukari is delighted to have gotten the opportunity to represent the Black Stars at the World Cup and says the team will bounce back stronger.
Ghana were eliminated from the ongoing tournament after losing its final group game against Uruguay at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakra.
The 23-year-old scored his first goal in the tournament against Portugal in Ghana’s 3-2 defeat in the opening game.
Bukari came on as a substitute in the second half to reduce the deficit for the Black Stars with the second goal of the game.
The pacy winger also played in Ghana’s 2-0 defeat to Uruguay coming on as a substitute in the second half.
Osman Bukari is grateful for the opportunity to play for the Black Stars.
” I am so grateful for the opportunity given to me to serve my country at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Hard to accept we couldn’t go far. Lesson have been learnt. Thank you Ghana for your immense support and love. I fervently believe we’ll come back stronger!”
I am so grateful for the opportunity given to me to serve my country at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Hard to accept we couldn’t go far. Lessons have been learnt. Thank you Ghana for your immense support and love. I fervently believe we’ll come back stronger!🇬🇭✊🏽 pic.twitter.com/h6ycddsivV
Social media have gone overdrive since the four-time African champions failed to progress from the group stage.
Accusation and counter-accusation has dominated the major headlines in the West African nation since the team exited the tournament.
But Bayern Munich legend and a member of the Black Stars management committee Sammy Kuffuor has urged the media to be measured by their criticism of the team.
‘’We all agree that this is not what we expected. But we believe in our team so I will plead with you not to point accusing fingers at any player for what happened here yesterday’’ the former Bayern star said in a press briefing in Doha on Saturday.
‘’I still insist we should find solutions to our problem and not to point accusing fingers at any player. We all know that we wanted to go far but that did not happen. Look at what we saw in the stadium and the people who travelled here to watch the matches’’.
‘’It shows the kind of love that people have for the team, we did not take it for granted at all. But its’ unfortunate we lost and exited the tournament. I am someone who can take pressure but it’s not every player who has that heart to take the pressure’’.
‘’These are young players, they need our support, not unguarded criticisms. When I was playing in Germany there was a lot of pressure but I am strong so I took that in good faith and performed’’.
‘’We don’t have to dampen the spirit of the players. We have to encourage the players to do better for our country in future competitions. We need to look at avenues to get better results from here and not to blame anyone, that’s my humble appeal to all of you.”
Ghana lost 2-0 to eternal rivals Uruguay 2-0 to crash out of the tournament in Doha.
Addo, who was named coach of the team in April, spent time with the Blacks only in the June and September break before the World Cup in November.
Ghana failed to shine in Qatar, winning just a game as the Black Stars suffered first round elimination.
“The windows we had were June, September and World Cup so there was not much time,” he told the media at a briefing on Saturday,” he said.
“Surely this is normal. If we will have had more time together, we could have developed even better. I saw a lot of processes and I know it is difficult for a lot of people to understand.”
The Borussia Dortmund talent coach resigned after the Black Stars’ defeat to Uruguay last Friday.
Despite the praises Ajax midfielder, Mohammed Kudushas received for his performance for the Black Stars at the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar, Frank Naro has decided to play the devil’s advocate.
The star caught the attention of many worldwide for mostly carrying the team in the times of difficulty, ultimately scoring 2 goals against South Korea.
Despite the praises Ajax midfielder, Mohammed Kudus has received for his performance for the Black Stars at the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar, Frank Naro has decided to play the devil’s advocate.
The star caught the attention of many worldwide for mostly carrying the team in the times of difficulty, ultimately scoring 2 goals against South Korea.
But actor and musician, Frank Naro claims that wasn’t enough claiming the Black Stars and Ajax talent is a selfish player.
On a video call with blogger Zion Felix, Frank Naro admitted that Kudus is a good footballer but he was playing for himself and not the team.
He made it clear that he loves the young player and he will advise that he plays more for the team when he gets the ball instead of himself.
Otto Addo says he left his position as coach of Ghana in order to continue working for Borussia Dortmund as a talent developer.
The 47-year-old made his resignation known after the Black Stars were eliminated from the 2022 World Cup in the group stage following their 2-0 loss to Uruguay on Friday.
After Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac was fired following a terrible performance at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, Addo took up the Ghana post in February.
“It has not got to do with the outcome of the result [Ghana’s World Cup elimination]. It would have ended if we were world champions. I have to respect the contract. I have to respect the club I am working for.” Addo told the media in Doha.”
“Surely maybe one day I will get the chance to work with the GFA again but for the next two and half years, I have a contract with Dortmund and I have to respect that,” he added.
After the Black Stars defeated Nigeria in the play-off round in March, Addo led them to the 2022 World Cup.
Close associates of Black Stars captain Andre Ayewhave confirmed to GhanaWeb that the player’s seven-year-old daughter is recovering after collapsing during the Ghana versus Uruguay game on Friday.
Details of how and why Andre’s daughter collapsed remain sketchy but reports in the local media say she collapsed after her dad missed a penalty in the first half of the game.
The Al Saad player endured a torrid time after seeing Ghana eliminated from the World Cup and the scare of almost losing his daughter.
Andre’s daughter whose name has been withheld to protect her privacy is said to be in better health this morning.
Andre Ayew had to rush to a Doha hospital after the game to ensure the safety of his little girl.
In a post-match reaction after the defeat, Andre told reporters, “I am very disappointed with the results. We had the opportunity to go to the next stage, I got a penalty and I missed so it is difficult to take. The game was played on details and we did not get it right and I did not get it right with my penalty but I am very optimistic for the future. God gives his most difficult battles to those who can fight them and wake up. I am sad but I am willing to make it better next time.”
Uruguay beat Ghana 2-0 in a game the Black Stars needed just a draw to progress to the next stage of the competition.
Ghana picked up 3 points in three games, beating South Korea and then losing to Portugal and Uruguay in Group H.
The MP claimed in a tweet that the Black Stars’ loss to Uruguay in their final World Cup group match in Qatar in 2022 proves they require a qualified coach.
“Four lessons learned from this defeat; We need an experienced coach.
Parts of the MP’s tweet read, “The GFA Executives need to quit meddling in team selection.
The MP, however, indicated that Ghanaians can find some solace in the fact that Uruguay has also exited the tournament.
“Even if we lost, we are going home with Uruguay,” Sam George said.
The Black Stars were eliminated from the 2022 FIFA World Cup after losing by 2-0 to Uruguay in their final match of the group stages.
Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s two goals for Uruguay were not enough to get them through to the next round of the tournament as South Korea beat Portugal 2-1.
The Black Stars had a slow start in the game as Uruguay was on fire from the blast of the whistle.
However, Ghana’s first chance in the game which fell to Jordan Ayew nearly saw him score but Sergio Rochet pulled a good save which saw Kudus go in for a rebound.
“We’re content here in Germany, my family and I.
Even if we win the World Cup and are crowned champions, I indicated I would stand down following the event.
As coach for Ghana, I have quit “In an after-match interview, Otto Addo told the media.
Ghanaian fans were captured celebrating in Qatar despite the Black Stars’ loss to Uruguay in the final Group H fixture at the Al Janoub Stadium in Doha on December 2, 2022.
Ghana lost but opponents Uruguay, led by Luis Suarez, also crashed out on goals scored after finishing with four points apiece with South Korea.
In a video shared by Isaac Fanin, a BBC journalist covering the tournament, a pool of Ghanaians are captured dancing to a popular song titled, African Girls, by late musician Castro featuring former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan.
Hundreds of the fans are seen singing along as the song is blasted on loud speakers as they dance ostensibly to celebrate Uruguay’s exit despite having inflicted a similar fate on Ghana.
He captioned the video thus: “This is absolutely top tier pettiness from Ghanaians! A DJ is playing Asamaoh Gyan’smusic whilst Ghanaians party at Uruguay’s expense! Baby jet is here. Imagine if Ghana had won.”
Gyan in 2010 missed a crucial penalty after Suarez handled a goal-bound effort. Uruguay went on to win the game on penalties denying Ghana a place in the semi finals.
Match Report: Uruguay vs. Ghana
The Black Stars of Ghana had one task going into their final Group H fixture at the 2022 World Cup.
Win at all costs, worse case draw against Uruguay and secure passage into the Round-of-16 stage of the competition.
The match was, however, settled with three major incidents in the first half. A penalty miss by Black Stars skipper Andre Dede Ayew, when the score was goalless.
Then Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s two goals for Uruguay which came in quick sucession, consigned the Black Stars to a second World Cup defeat against the South Americans who broke hearts of Africans in 2010.
Their 2 – 0 victory over the Black Stars was, however, not enough to get them through to the next round of the tournament as South Korea beat Portugal 2-1.
With Uruguay in dire need of a third goal to progress to the next round of the World Cup, Suarez was reduced to tears as efforts to score another goal proved futile.
Portugal and South Korea advanced from Group H as Uruguay and Ghana exited the tournament after finished 3rd and 4th respectively.
This is absolutely top tier pettiness from Ghanaian’s! A DJ is playing Asamaoh Gyan’s music whilst Ghanaians party at Uruguay’s expense! Baby jet is here. Imagine if Ghana had won 😂 pic.twitter.com/Rjg3wyAsP2
After winning one of their three games, Ghana was eliminated from the Group G tournament.
The Black Stars of Ghana needed at least a draw to advance to the round of 16 after falling to Portugal in their opening match and earning all three points against South Korea.
The team’s final game was against Uruguay, where they were defeated two goals to nil.
The GFA while expressing gratitude to the Ghanaian populace and other groups for their support apologised for the team’s failure to progress out of the group stage.
“The Ghana Football Association is extremely grateful to the government,
the Ghanaian people, the football family, Corporate Ghana, our esteemed sponsors and supporters for their unflinching, unwavering and unalloyed
support during the Black Stars FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 campaign,” part of GFA’s statement read.
“We regret our inability to progress to the knockout phase of the competition and offer our profound apologies to the government, the people of Ghana and all stakeholders across the globe,” the GFA said.
According to the GFA, it has gathered valuable lessons from the team’s qualification and participation in the global showpiece and will communicate further developments in due course.
“We believe that valuable lessons have been learnt from our qualification and participation in the tournament and aim to continue with the positives going into the future.”
“The Ghana Football Association would in due course inform all stakeholders about any further developments concerning the Black Stars,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, Head Coach of the Black Stars, Otto Addo, has announced his decision to resign from the position.
“Me & my family are happy in Germany. I said I would step down after the World Cup even if we’re world champions after the tournament. I’ve resigned from my role as Ghana coach,” Otto Addo told the press in his post-match interview.
The warning signs had been there, and if the disastrous performance against Brazil wasn’t enough to convince Otto Addo that certain players, regardless of their pedigree and reputation, needed to be benched, then the exhibition match against Switzerland and Portugal in the first Group H match should have.
It makes sense for a coach in charge of a young club to place his faith in the few seasoned players on the roster, but Otto Addo’s trusted players have consistently disappointed, especially when it counts the most.
There is the excuse of leadership and inspiration to be made for Andre Ayew but the obvious truth is that when it comes to what matters most which is producing performance worthy of satisfactory remarks, Andre Ayew has failed, not once, not twice, countless times in the last three years.
As far as the Black Stars and most national teams are concerned, this is not a new phenomenon but this is where a coach is expected to be bold, overlook the stardom and pick less-popular players who deliver in national colors.
The Switzerland game should have provided the blueprint for how Otto Addo was going to deal with the Partey situation.
To be honest it is not an easy move to make and it is one which if not handled properly could upset the dressing room but after that performance by Salis and Elisha Owusu against Switzerland and Partey’s underwhelming performance against Portugal, Otto Addo should have drawn the line. Instead he remained loyal to a global star who once again delivered the opposite of his Arsenal form against Uruguay.
And Baba Rahman.
There is the conspiracy theory that he gets into the team because of his association with some key members within the Ghana Football Association but assuming without admitting that it is the truth, such influence, regardless of who it is coming will not be enough to get him into the starting team unless the coach himself is party to whatever scheme there is.
So regardless of what you think, Baba Rahman presence in the team is the sole decision of coach Otto Addo and the fact that he was drafted into the team after Gideon Mensah’s telling performance against South Korea shows the loyalty and faith Otto Addo had in him.
In return of Otto Addo’s loyalty, the Reading player has persistently displayed disastrous football which once again came alive in the game against Uruguay.
Baba Rahman’s was exposed and the Uruguayans had a field day cooking their attacks from that side. Unfortunately for him, his wing partner Jordan Ayew after that headline-grabbing performance against South Korea went back to default settings.
Inaki Williams came into the team with so much promise and it was understandable as the Black Stars lacked a player of his stature in the attacking area but in three games played at the World Cup where he played mainly in two positions, the Athletic Bilbao forward who switched allegiance from Spain to Ghana failed to deliver.
In all three games, two of which he played as a striker, not once did he hit a shot that was saved by the goalkeeper. Inaki had no shot on target in three games for the Black Stars and he was Otto Addo’s lead striker. How ridiculous.
The Ghana team showed so much promise and there is enough reason to be positive about the future but the undeniable truth is that Otto Addo’s blind loyalty led us into this ditch.
The Black Stars have received praise from Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for their performance at the 2017 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
On Friday, December 2, 2022, after the squad’s elimination following a 2–0 loss to Uruguay, Bawumia responded, “Even though the outcomes did not go as intended, the players did themselves and Ghana proud.
After the defeat, he wrote on social media: “The match versus Uruguay didn’t go as we intended.
Regardless of today’s outcome, the Black Stars performed admirably and brought honour to Ghana.
“Hold your heads high guys as we prepare for other footballing assignments for mother Ghana.”
Ghana ended bottom of Group H with Portugal topping whiles South Korea finsihed second ahead of Uruguay on goal difference – both teams finished with four points apiece.
The Black Stars recorded three points from three games – losing to Portugal and Uruguay and beating South Korea. They scored five goals and conceded seven.
Coach Otto Addo has resigned his position in the post-match press conference.
Match Report: Uruguay vs. Ghana
The Black Stars of Ghana had one task going into their final Group H fixture at the 2022 World Cup.
Win at all costs, worse case draw against Uruguay and secure passage into the Round-of-16 stage of the competition.
The match was, however, settled with three major incidents in the first half. A penalty miss by Black Stars skipper Andre Dede Ayew, when the score was goalless.
Then Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s two goals for Uruguay which came in quick sucession, consigned the Black Stars to a second World Cup defeat against the South Americans who broke hearts of Africans in 2010.
Their 2 – 0 victory over the Black Stars was, however, not enough to get them through to the next round of the tournament as South Korea beat Portugal 2-1.
With Uruguay in dire need of a third goal to progress to the next round of the World Cup, Suarez was reduced to tears as efforts to score another goal proved futile.
Portugal and South Korea advanced from Group H as Uruguay and Ghana exited the tournament after finished 3rd and 4th respectively.
On December 2, 2022, the Otto Addo-led team lost a crucial game to Uruguay, 2–0, and as a result, both teams were eliminated from the tournament, with Portugal and South Korea moving on.
People are making fun of a president’s tweet from 2014 that has surfaced again in light of recent events in the nation.
It reads: “No water, no electricity, no petrol, no jobs, no mercy, no World Cup cictory! #Ghana”
The president had urged the team to take revenge on the Uruguayans after a 2010 incident where Luis Suarez, their captain in yesterday’s game thwarted Ghana’s prospect of making history by becoming the first African side to qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup.
Akufo-Addo has yet to comment on the outcome of the match.
In 2014 when his tweet was made, the then Asamoah Gyan-led Black Stars made a disastrous outing in Brazil when they failed to win a single match yet ‘cooked’ a global spectacle that saw dollars being flown to pay their appearance fees for fears of a boycott.
Ghana ended bottom of Group H with Portugal topping whiles South Korea finsihed second ahead of Uruguay on goal difference – both teams finished with four points apiece.
The Black Stars recorded three points from three games – losing to Portugal and Uruguay and beating South Korea. They scored five goals and conceded seven.
Coach Otto Addo has resigned his position in the post-match press conference.
Match Report: Uruguay vs. Ghana
The Black Stars of Ghana had one task going into their final Group H fixture at the 2022 World Cup.
Win at all costs, worse case draw against Uruguay and secure passage into the Round-of-16 stage of the competition.
The match was, however, settled with three major incidents in the first half. A penalty miss by Black Stars skipper Andre Dede Ayew, when the score was goalless.
Then Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s two goals for Uruguay which came in quick sucession, consigned the Black Stars to a second World Cup defeat against the South Americans who broke hearts of Africans in 2010.
Their 2 – 0 victory over the Black Stars was, however, not enough to get them through to the next round of the tournament as South Korea beat Portugal 2-1.
With Uruguay in dire need of a third goal to progress to the next round of the World Cup, Suarez was reduced to tears as efforts to score another goal proved futile.
Portugal and South Korea advanced from Group H as Uruguay and Ghana exited the tournament after finished 3rd and 4th respectively.
Otto Addo ceases to be the head coach of the Ghana Black Stars following his resignation.
The 47-year-old stepped down after the senior national football team suffered a humiliating defeat to Uruguay today, December 2.
Ghana lost by two goals to nil in a game many Ghanaians expected the players to seek revenge against Luis Suarez, who cost Ghana a semi-final appearance at the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa.
Otto Addo will continue as an assistant coach at Borussia Dortmund.
BREAKING: Otto Addo has stepped down as Ghana manager following their elimination from the World Cup 🇬🇭 pic.twitter.com/iBgWpzvqAN
Ghana Black Stars have once again failed to live up to expectations and have left Ghanaians in shambles as a result.
Ghana faced Uruguay today in the ongoing World Cup tournament with hopes of progressing to the round of 16.
Just as hopes were built, dreams came crashing down when Uruguay tossed and ravaged Ghana.
What was to be a revenge game turned into an eyesore, particularly when captain Andre Ayew missed a penalty that would have put Ghana in a lead position.
Luis Suarez’s side scored a few minutes after Dede Ayew missed a penalty in the 21st minute.
G. de Arrascaeta took advantage of a confusion that hit Ghana and scored in the 26th minute.
Arrascaeta doubled his side’s dominance in the 32nd minute.
Ghana’s defense proved to be porous.
Uruguay’s victory however did not materialize as they missed the bullseye, which is a place in the round of 16.
South Korea ensured Uruguay’s absence when they won their game against Portugal which took place simultaneously.
South Korea beat Ronaldo’s side by two goals to one. Portugal led Group H with 6 points.
South Korea and Uruguay followed with 4 points. Ghana was at the bottom with 3 points.
Black Stars midfielder, Mohammed Kudus, has had a mural of him painted on the streets of Nima to celebrate his success story so far.
The mural includes his celebration after scoring one of Ghana’s three goals during the 3-2 win over South Korea at the World Cup.
The painting was done by international graffiti artist, Mohammed Awudu, who believes the player’s rise to stardom is an inspiration to the neighbourhood and young talents in the area.
Moh Awudu in shot ( PC: Kobbi Blaq)
Present at the unveiling was the former Mayor of Accra, Nii Adjei Sowah, Dr Afua Asabea Asare, the CEO of Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Rabiu Maude, a youth activist as well as kids and other residents in the area.
Kudus grew up in Nima, a suburb of Accra, and started his footballing career there before joining Strong Tower.
The 22-year-old then joined the Right to Dream Academy where he was later developed and transferred to Danish side, FC Nordsjaelland.
In July 2020, Kudus earned a move to Eredivisie side, Ajax Amsterdam, where his performance continues to attract interest from several top clubs.
The attacking midfielder is currently in Qatar with the Black Stars for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
He further gained the world’s attention after his brace against South Korea moved Ghana to second position in Group H ahead of the final game against Uruguay on Friday, December 2.
During the session, which was done in the evening, the Black Stars players and coaching staff clapped and sang gospel tunes joyously, all but Kudus.
The young man who has been Ghana’s star player at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar had many folks worried as they did not want to see him sad. The young man has won the admiration of most Ghanaians with his performances at the tournament.
Many peeps who saw the video were not pleased to see Kudus in an unhappy mood and tried to figure out why he was quiet and gloomy.
Some peeps opined that maybe he was just not in the mood, while others attributed his unhappy look to the fact that he was Muslim and did not want to participate in singing Christian songs.
Some peeps also gave other interesting probable reasons the Black Stars star looked sad.
Kudus Sad Look Sparks Reactions
Khadijatul Kubrah was worried:
Why is Kudus Not happy don’t worry You guys are surely going to make it Inshallah
ajoarhema felt the song had nothing to do with it:
lol in Ghana Muslims sing gospel. even hymns maybe he just wasn’t in the mood
user62282055157500 commented:
if u frown kraa l love u la ❤️ kudusss to the wiase
At the current World Cup in Qatar, many fans’ favorite team is still Ghana’s Black Stars.
The Daily Show host, Trevor Noah, has publicly expressed his support for the West African team, the Black Stars, who will play Uruguay in their third match on December 2 in an effort to advance from the Group stages.
On his show, the South African comedian and writer revealed that whenever his nation is eliminated from the competition, he automatically switches sides to Ghana.
Since 2002, the South African national side has failed to earn a spot in the World Cup.
On November 14, 2021, Ghana’s penalty ended their chances of moving on to the next round of World Cup qualification, shattering all of their dreams.
“If South Africa is not in the World Cup which is most of the time, we used to be but now we are not anymore. I then immediately switch to Ghana.
“Ghana is the number one for me. I am glad that they actually won the game,” said Trevor Noah.
The popular TV host also named Senegal, Brazil and France among his favourite teams at the World Cup.
When Ghana face Uruguay on Friday in their decisive final World Cup group match, one name will be on the minds of many from the West African country: Luis Suarez.
The Uruguay striker broke Ghanaian hearts at the 2010 World Cup when his deliberate handball stopped a certain goal in the dying stages of their quarterfinal.
Suarez was sent off but Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty – cue wild celebrations from Suarez on the sidelines – and Uruguay then beat the Black Stars in the penalty shootout.
It is a dark day scorched deep in the memory of many Ghanaian football fans.
“We were waiting to celebrate, but we cried in the streets,” said Samuel Quist, 36, buying a Ghana team shirt in the capital Accra in preparation for Friday’s game.
“I hated that day.”
This time it is Uruguay who are up against it – a Ghana win would put them into the last 16 and send Uruguay home, but a draw for Ghana could also be enough.
Current Ghana skipper Andre Ayew, the only player left from the 2010 squad, attempted to play down talk of revenge.
“Everyone felt bad (in 2010) but for me, I just want to get to the next stage,” he told reporters in Qatar.
“Revenge or not, we would go with the same determination and desire to win because we want to get to the next stage.”
“I am not looking back, I don’t want to focus on the past,” added the softly-spoken 32-year-old forward.
But try telling that to people in Ghana who are not willing to forgive or forget Uruguay and especially Suarez, the feisty 35-year-old striker who has been banned from football in the past for biting opponents.
“Luis Suarez, Luis Suarez, we all remember, so it is revenge on Friday,” said Philip Sheshe, 32, outside a market store selling Ghana jerseys.
“On that day the ball was meant to enter the net but he used his hand.”
That sentiment was echoed by ruling-party lawmaker Collins Adomako-Mensah.
“They gave us a very powerful defeat. We have never forgiven Suarez,” he told AFP.
“He should expect fireworks from our boys.
“Just as we cried 12 years ago, he will cry on Friday.”
Thomas Partey has disclosed that Black Stars will head into their final group game against Uruguay to get a positive result at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ghana and Uruguay face off at the Al Janoub Stadium on Friday at 15:00 GMT.
The two sides are in search of a ticket to the knockout stage with Ghana needing a win to automatically seal their spot in the next round of the tournament while the Uruguayans desperately need a win against Ghana to progress to the next round.
‘We want to show we are capable of anything and this is a different game and we need to stick to our plan,” Partey said at pre-match press conference on Thursday.
‘The plan to get a good result.”
On Ghana’s defeat to Uruguay in 2010, the Arsenal midfielder added, “It was a sad day for me but based on my perspective it is not a big topic and going into the match like any other match.”
The game will be a repeat of the 2010 World Cup quarter-final incident which saw Luis Suarez save his side with the handball incident as Ghana eventually bowed out of the tournament on penalty shootouts.
Black Stars are currently second in Group H while Uruguay lie bottom with only one point.
Ghana coach, Otto Addo says he is confident enough to know his side can beat Uruguay on Friday.
The West African country will clash with the two-time world champions in their final Group H game at the Al Janoub Stadium.
The Black Stars need just a draw or a win to seal their place in the last 16 while the South American side need a win to progress.
Ghana secured an all-important win against South Korea in their second group game while Uruguay suffered a defeat against Portugal.
Ahead of the game, Addo says he is confident his side will overcome Diego Alonso’s who are just with a point after two games.
“They [Uruguay] have very good strikers, lots of experience and they are a very compact, very good team,” he said.
“Every game will be on edge and we have to be at our best to beat them.
“I am confident enough to know that we can win this game,” he said.
Ghana are aiming for a win after Luis Suarez deliberately blocked a goal-bound header from Dominic Adiyah to crash the country’s chances of playing in the semifinal.
The game has been scheduled to kick off at 15:00GMT.
Ghana’s Sports Minister, Hon Mustapha Ussif and Ghana’s Ambassador to Qatar, H.E Mohamed Noureddine Ismail paid a brief visit to the Ghanaian fans who had traveled to Qatar to support the Black Stars in the ongoing World Cup.
The supporters in Qatar have been very vocal at the stadium and also at the fan parks in Doha. They supported the Black Stars in their first game against Portugal and also the second group game against South Korea.
The supporters also gave the Black Stars a rousing welcome at the airport when the players and the technical team landed in Doha. The supporters also stormed the team’s hotel to sing jama songs.
Speaking at the meetup the Sports Minister said:
“We are not cooking for anybody there is no food for anybody because the commission report indicate no government should take supporters and go and feed them. But the little we have we will give it to you if you want to buy banku it is up to you, if you want to fast and take your money back it is up to you,” he said.
“Only reason I came here is to come and thank you and show appreciation for your prayer, your support, your dedication and continue to seek for your blessing. As we embark on this war on Friday we will need the prayers from everyone of you to be able to get to were we want to be so thank you so much for your support, thank you so much for your dedication, thank you so much for your prayers,”
Renowned actor, Oscar Provencal has advised Ghanaians to be pragmatic about the Black Stars because they are a new team.
He says that Ghanaians should not be dreamers, especially where the new players for the country’s team are concerned.
On GTV’s Breakfast Show with Kafui Dey, Oscar began his rant of the day by congratulating the Black Stars on their stellar performance in the recent match against South Korea.
In his opinion, they could have done a better job, but they did give an exceptional performance.
Mr. Provencal said, “they are relevant in the way they unify a divided country, and for that, they have the support of all Ghanaians.”
He mentioned that although he was not in favour of how much was spent on them, they do uplift the nation’s hopes and put the Ghanaians in high spirits.
“They could of course also incite anger in Ghanaians that is if things go haywire.”
However, even with their win, he asks that Ghanaians not get their hopes up too much because these are new players and they are a new team.
President of the Uruguayan Football Association, Ignacio Alonso has stated that the team is optimistic about changing the World Cup’s atmosphere and the circumstances before their match against Ghana.
Uruguay has only earned one point through two games in Group H after losing to Portugal on Monday.
Ghana won a crucial match, increasing their likelihood of moving on to the round of 16.
To increase their prospects of moving on to the knockout round, the Black Stars defeated the Asian giants 3-2.
The four-time African champions must avoid defeat against Uruguay to book a spot in the Round of 16.
Earlier reports suggested there was an unhealthy atmosphere in camp after defeat to Portugal but the FA boss has denied, saying there is an excellent atmosphere in camp.
He added there is an excellent atmosphere ahead of the Ghana game as they seek to reverse the situation.
“I totally deny it.” He said.
“There are no inmates, I can assure and attest that there is an excellent climate,” began by saying “Nachito” interviewed on Channel 12, and expanded: “There is discomfort over the result, pain, but good weather and confidence in the ability to reverse the situation”.
“The performance is not what was expected,” he said later, to complete: “It is not what is adjusted to the possibilities of this team, that is why there is also a great expectation of being able to turn the situation around.”
The 2016 European champions are currently on the summit of Group H with six points, ahead of Ghana, who have three.
Meanwhile, Uruguay and South Korea both have one point each ahead of the final group games on Friday.
Ghana were denied a semifinal berth at the World Cup courtesy of a Luis Suarez handball incident in the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The former Liverpool and Barcelona forward prevent a goal-bound header from Ghana’s Dominic Adiyiah in the final minute of extra time at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg.
Suarez essentially produced a save on the line worthy of a goalkeeper and he was shown a straight red card as a result.
Ghana were also awarded a penalty, but Asamoah Gyan’s attempt from 12 yards crashed into the crossbar, which resulted in Suarez going mental on the touchline and sent the game to a shootout.
Uruguay won the penalty shoot-out to progress to the semifinals with Luis Suarez celebrated for his demonic act.
Uruguay striker, Luis Suarez, has lamented the team’s 2-0 loss against Portugal but insisted that his colleagues should concentrate on defeating Ghana in the following game.
Uruguay is on the verge of leaving the FIFA World Cup in 2022 early after two games without a victory.
The all-time leading scorer of goals claimed that Uruguay’s loss to Portugal last Monday was really heartbreaking.
According to him, Uruguay must only concentrate on a win against Ghana in the final Group H contest.
“All defeats hurt, especially in a World Cup. Now it’s time to be together as a group and not look for more excuses. Winning and qualifying, that’s our goal. Trust us that we are going to drop everything,” Luis Suarez said in a post on Instagram.
The striker is expected to be in action for Uruguay when they take on Ghana in the final Group H match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Uruguay will need to win that game to stand any chance of advancing to the Round of 16 of the tournament ongoing in Qatar.
The opponent, Ghana only needs a draw to secure qualification to Round 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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