We’ll Qualify But it Won’t be Easy- Otto on 2025 AFCON Qualifiers
The head coach of the Black Stars, Otto Addo, is preparing for a tough campaign in the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in 2025 after the draw on Thursday.
Ghana were drawn in Group F together with Angola, Sudan and Niger.
Though Ghana rank above all these nations on paper, he observes that all three have proven in recent displays to be better and a force to reckon with on the field.
Reflecting on the campaign of Angola in the 2023 AFCON, their performance in the COSAFA Cup and their sterling showpiece in the World Cup qualifiers, he stated, “I think they have a very, very good squad… They have a strong squad and we can’t take it easy. It’s going to be tough, it’s going to be close.”
On the Akwasi Appiah-led Sudan, Otto said, “They are not a known squad but like I said, they are doing really, really good at the moment in the World Cup qualification games, very, very tough to beat. It’s going to be a really big challenge to beat them and for this, we have to be at 100% best.”
He thinks it’s not going to be any easy with Niger.
“They don’t have a good record in their last five, six, seven, eight matches. I think they won one, played some draws and lost the other games. But what you can see is that, when they lost they just lost by a lone goal. So it’s going to be tough. All the other teams are finding it tough playing against Niger so it’s going to be tough for us as well. We have to be at our 100% best to beat everyone.
“There is no small team in Africa at the moment. You saw at the last AFCON that very, very strong and known teams had problems with the so-called unknown teams so it’s going to be tough but I think we have the quality to beat all of them. But it’s going to be close, it’s going to be tough, there are no easy games.”
In spite of this, he is confident Ghana will sail through to qualify for the tournament.
The last FIFA ranking saw all four countries advancing. Ghana moved four places up to the 64th place; Angola two places to 92nd position; Sudan six places to 121st place; and Niger one place up to the 128th place.
