Interim Coach of the Black Stars of Ghana, Otto Addo, has revealed that he has been given permission by German Bundesliga giants, Borussia Dortmund, to lead the Black Stars in upcoming international games, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be staged in Qatar in November 2022.
Even though an official announcement is yet to be made by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) on Otto Addo’s future, he is expected to continue as the head coach after qualifying the team to Qatar.
During the Black Stars’ visit to the President at the Jubilee House after sealing its qualification to Qatar, President Akuffo Addo urged the GFA and the Sports Ministry to maintain the new technical team, to at least, after the world Cup in November this year.
“I got permission from Dortmund. Under certain conditions, it works out that I can do the international game phases in June, September and also the World Cup”, Coach Otto Addo said on the Hamburger Abdenblatt podcast.
The trainer scout for the German Club was given the job after Ghana’s horrific showing at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon earlier this year where the team exited the tournament at the group stages for the first time since 2006.
Coach Otto Addo led the team through the final hurdle of the World Cup qualifiers against Ghana’s archrivals, Nigeria, beating the Super Eagles on away goals rule after a 1-1 draw in Abuja. The first leg in Kumasi ended in a stalemate as both sides failed to score in a fully packed Kumasi Sports Stadium on March 25, 2022.
Coach Otto Addo was assisted by George Boateng and Didi Dramani with former Brighton coach, Chris Hughton, serving as the team’s technical advisor.
Build-up to the World Cup
Before the World Cup, the Black Stars will engage in a series of test matches including the qualifying matches for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire.
Ghana will play Japan, Chile and Tunisia in a four nation tournament in June this year as part of preparations for the FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022.
The tournament dubbed ‘Kirin Super Cup 2022’ will be hosted by Japan from Friday, June 10 to Tuesday, June 14, 2022 in the lead up to the mundial in Qatar. The four participating teams – Chile, Japan, Tunisia and Ghana- have all qualified for the World Cup in Qatar.
The Noevir Stadium in Misaki Park, Hyogo-ku, Kobe and the Panasonic Stadium will be the venues for the tournament. The Black Stars will begin the tournament against Japan on Friday, June 10 while Tunisia faces Chile in the other game. On Match Day 2, Ghana will play against Tunisia or Chile on Tuesday, June 14, regardless of the result of the match against host, Japan.
Meanwhile, the Black Stars will begin their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Group E qualifying campaign at home against Madagascar on June 1, 2022 at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium before playing guests to the Central African Republic in the second game.
In Group E, the Black Stars are joined by Angola, Madagascar, and the Central African Republic in the team’s quest to qualify for the 34th edition of the biennial tournament which will take place from June 23 to July 23, 2023. In Qatar however, the Black Stars are in Group H alongside familiar foes- Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay.
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