- Head of State wants free hand for coach Addo
- Addo due to name Black Stars squad on Friday
- Ghana will face Portugal, Uruguay & South Korea in Qatar
WHAT HAPPENED? With 30 days remaining before the global competition gets underway in Qatar, Black Stars coach Otto Addo is expected to name his provisional squad on Friday.
Ghana's dismal display at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroonin January to February was blamed on some senior Black Stars players, who were allegedly accused of influencing team selection for then coach Milovan Rajevac.
With such revelations, Ghana's Head of State has advised the country's football boss Kurt Okraku and his office to give the Black Stars technical bench room to make their own decisions.
WHAT DID AKUFO-ADDO SAY? “I was impressed with the technical team, the way they handled the qualification and that is the reason why I recommended for their permanent stay and you did that. I think it is the best possible basis on which to go,” he said as reported by Football Ghana when Okraku and his delegation paid him a courtesy call at the Jubilee House.
“But having chosen the technical team, I will implore you [Kurt Okraku] to leave them to choose the players for the World Cup. I think the people who run football clubs know what it is that you require of a good coach, it takes a responsibility and he doesn’t know what to do'
“But what is always a problem is Ministers, President and others influencing players on coaches, we don’t want it that way because we have confidence in the people you have chosen. I think we’ve got a very good technical team of Otto Addo, Chris Hughton, George Boateng and Didi Dramani.
“We’ve got a very good set of people to guide our players so we should leave them to work because they are the best combination for us and the rest of us will do our best to support them."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The Black Stars have been drawn in Group H at the tournament in the Gulf nation alongside Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay. They will kick off their campaign against Portugal on November 24 at Stadium 974.
They will then face South Korea in matchday two at Education City Stadium on November 28 before they wind up their group matches against Uruguay on December 2 at Al Wakrah Sports Complex.
WHAT NEXT FOR GHANA? Before they head to Qatar, coach Addo will get a chance to test his squad with a friendly against Switzerland on November 17 at Baniyas Stadium.
