Kwabena Yeboah, the President of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana, has stepped up to offer some words of wisdom to the Black Stars head coach, Otto Addo, as they gear up for their crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Mali and Central African Republic.
Having returned for his second stint as head coach, Addo is faced with the daunting task of rebuilding and leading the team to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Ahead of the squad unveiling, Yeboah highlighted Addo’s growth in handling diverse opinions and criticisms from the Ghanaian public.
During a press briefing, Yeboah advised Addo, stating, “You are the official coach but the real coaches are here. So the criticisms will come in. Some will be caustic. Some will be very vitriolic…but in all that just relax and understand that as journalists, we mean well.”
He went on to stress the importance of not taking the criticisms personally, as they will come in fast and thick. “Just understand that we are in this together and we all want to see the good of the team,” Yeboah added.
The Black Stars are scheduled to face Mali on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at the Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako for the third round of qualifying for the Canada and USA World Cup. Following this, they will return to Ghana for the fourth round match at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium against the Central African Republic.
Ghana kicked off its qualifying campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Madagascar in Kumasi before suffering a similar fate with a 1-0 loss to Comoros in the second group game. The team currently sits in fourth place in Group I with three points, trailing behind leaders Comoros by three points.
