Our Coach Otto Addo discussed the upcoming match against Trinidad on Friday, emphasizing the team's determination to finish the tournament with a win. He highlighted the performance of newcomers and the importance of maintaining quality from the start. Addo noted the learning experience from the game against Nigeria, particularly the physical challenge and praised the Ghanaian supporters for their energy in the game against Nigeria. Addo also mentioned the recruitment process for diaspora players and expressed optimism about future friendlies and their role in fostering unity and competition.

Read on for the transcript:

On the game against Nigeria

Yeah, the game against Nigeria didn't start well, but at the end, I think we took over and had the chance to equalize, so we showed already a good reaction, and surely we want to continue from the second half. Yeah, the game against Nigeria didn't start well, but at the end, I think we took over and had the chance to equalize, so we showed already a good reaction, and surely we want to continue from the second half. Like I said before, it's a big chance for a lot of players, we have a lot of newcomers in the national team who were able to show themselves in the last game, but also have a chance in this game. And it's a very, very good possibility for them to make the life for me hard to choose who will come for our next World Cup qualifiers in September so and we really want to finish this tournament with a win, and I think we have the quality for that, and we just have to show it on the pitch from the beginning and not just from the second half. And the possibilities are there, and just at the end, just up to us now to show it and to deliver.

On who has impressed most

I've been observing them a long time before this tournament. So all of them have shown already what they can and otherwise, otherwise they wouldn't have been invited, just to prove it again, and I wouldn't like to point out this or that player, I think as a team, we did well in the second half, and that's where we want to link up to when we play against Trinidad and Tobago.

On lessons

I think it was a big learning curve. We had a lot of young players in the squad, and, you know, you talk, you try to prepare the team and things, some learned a lot, especially in the first half, about the physicality the way Nigeria was going on us, and it took a while for us to adapt and adjust and to compete with this physicality, the same physicality. And so I think already in the game you saw some leanings. And I hope, like I said, it's there in the next game from the beginning.

On getting to play in the Unity Cup every year

We all have big communities here in London, and it's a great tournament for us to come together, for all, all of the nations, to come together peacefully, to celebrate football, but also at the same time to compete and very happy it's taking place here. I think there are lots of places where it could have also been done, but I think London is the number one place.

On the support from Ghanaian fans

Yeah, I think it's never one way. I think that our players showed good reaction in the second half and so the way we played also affected the fans. And in the second half, I really saw that there were a lot of Ghanaians in the stadium. They really pushed us further, and we created a lot of chances through them. And really want to thank them for their support. It really helped us. And yeah, we will try to give it back to them in the next game. Unfortunately, we couldn't score from all our chances, especially in the second half, but yeah, hopefully we can do this in the next game.

On players in the diaspora and chances of making it in the team

Yeah, and it has always been the task. The first time I was appointed as manager in Ghana, this was 2021 and we already started that process and we were able to convince players like Antoine Semenyo, Tariq, Lamptey and Inaki Williams. So we have really good experience with that. Surely, if anybody is from Ghanaian descent, always interesting for us. So we have a big database. We are always looking on their matches, and especially those who play in higher leagues. We observe them, we try to get in touch with them and to see if there would be available, and in case we will need them. And yeah, luckily, we already found good ones, but we were surely still looking. And I think the more successful we are, we have to be honest, the more successful we are, the more appeal and the more interesting we also are for the for the players, and surely it's, I think, tougher to, for example, represent England on the national team than maybe Ghana. But Ghana is also not that easy, and we have a lot of talents, so we always make them aware about the pros and cons and worst case scenarios also, I think it's very important. But surely we always open, if anybody from Ghanaian descent wants to play for Ghana.

On Ibrahim Suleiman joining the squad

So it's every time, it's the commitment for me, and we see we are looking for this in training today, and then at the end, we will decide if he is going to play or not. He was having problems with the visa. It's really, really difficult for some of our players to enter England. I think it shouldn't be like that, and especially on the national team level. So players, even players from us, which I invited, got rejected. So we ended up in the last game with just 17 players, I think, out of the 24 I invited. And luckily, Ibrahima who plays in Italy since two years, got his visa after, I don't know, three weeks or so. And I'm happy for him, at least, to come and join the team. And let's see how he is. And we train today. And then after this, we decide.

On making changes in the squad for the Trinidad and Tobago

In today’s football, you won't find a coach who will say I will do this or do that before the game, because we don't want Trinidad to prepare for us as good as they can, and so I can't answer this question. We want to win.

On Brandon Thomas Asante

So first of all, he is a very good person, very good character. He always gives everything. And I find it hard always to look just at the guy who's scoring the goals, because there were people who assisted him, who had pre assists, who defended well, so in all, I think the second half was good, and I was very, very satisfied with that. And this is what we are looking for, also for the next match.

On the Unity Cup in the sense of rivalry between Ghana and Nigeria

So first of all, when it comes to any African countries or from the Caribbean, especially if we are outside our continent. We are brothers and sisters. We share the same struggles, and we suffer the same thing about the same thing, so, but surely it's always we are neighbors, but we also rivalries. So we share a lot, and then there's always a rivalry. Who's better? I think, yeah, it's quite even between Nigeria and Ghana, and I'm not quite sure, but when you look at World Cup appearances and also African Cup winners. It's quite even. I would say even though we lost, I would like to say maybe we a little bit ahead at the moment, but yeah, it's a good competition. It's a good competition. It's pushing each other. We are pushing each other up. Congratulations on this moment again. To Nigeria. They also did really well and they deserve to win the last time, but it was really close. I think everybody saw that. It could have easily been a draw. So it's a good competition. And, yeah, we have to keep it up. And but at the end, we come together as friends.

On getting to connect through football

It's always good to connect, to compete against each other, but also to engage with each other. But yeah, I think the calendar is very, very tight. A lot of things that FIFA has put in place, and so there are a lot of games or tournaments, but surely we're looking forward for the next tournament like this. And it's always, always good for us to engage with the other, to meet each other, to compete against each other in a friendly way. And this really, really brings unity on and off the pitch.

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