Black Stars head coach, Otto Addo has opened up on how tough it was for Ghana’s new players to agree on playing for the Ghana national team.
According to coach Otto Addo, the decision for the new players to accept the decision of representing Ghana goes beyond playing at the World Cup but rather what they can achieve with the country.
Otto Addo who disclosed that he has been in constant communication with the new players who have switched nationalities to play for Ghana, stated that he found himself in a similar position when he wanted to play for the Black Stars.
“It’s a tough decision and they know what they’re getting into. Surely, it’s not just about this World Cup.
“It’s about more World Cups to come, AFCONs, winning and being successful, so it’s really not just about this one World Cup. Since March we’ve been talking to a lot of players who we think can have an impact on the team,” he told the BBC.
He noted that switching nationalities to play for another country is not like club transfers where players can move to other clubs after an unsuccessful stint.
“I can understand it can be a difficult decision, especially if you were born in another country and you’re young. It’s a lifetime decision, unlike at club level where you can play for a number of teams, so it’s very difficult and I understand them better, having been born in Germany,” the Black Stars coach said.
“But we want those who have decided to get familiar with the team and the staff as soon as possible. So everybody who wants to join has to join now so they know exactly what they’re going to do,” he added.
The Ghana Football Association on July 5, 2022, announced the nationality switch of 5 players who have agreed to play for Ghana.
They included Inaki Williams, Tariq Lamptey, Patric Pfeiffer, Ransford-Yeboah, Stephan and Stefan Ambrosious as well as Mohammed Salisu who has finally agreed to play for Ghana.
Ghana will face Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
