Ghana head coach Otto Addo has shared his thoughts ahead of the highly-anticipated Unity Cup semifinal between the Black Stars and Nigeria’s Super Eagles, expressing confidence that his team understands the importance of the match and is capable of defeating their West African rivals.
Ghana’s semifinal showdown with the Super Eagles will take place at the GTech Community Stadium in Brentford, London, on Wednesday, May 28. The winner will go on to face either Jamaica or Trinidad and Tobago in the final, scheduled for Saturday, May 31.
The Black Stars will be without several key players, as West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus, Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, Iñaki Williams, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Ernest Nuamah, and Elisha Owusu are all sidelined due to injury while Thomas Partey and Michael Baidoo have been granted a break by the head coach.
Nonetheless, Otto Addo remained optimistic during his pre-match press conference, stating that the tournament presents a valuable opportunity to try out other players in preparation for the World Cup qualifiers in September.
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“Surely we’re using this opportunity to further test our players, to see them on a very very high level and we’re happy we’re getting this opportunity. For us it’s a good test for the upcoming World Cup qualifying games in September,” he said.
Otto Addo also highlighted another benefit of the tournament, seeing it as a chance to connect with the Ghanaian community in England: “We have a big community here in England, it’s very important for them to see and feel the players. So for us it’s a good opportunity to participate in this tournament.”
The rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana is one that runs deep, but Otto Addo expressed confidence in his team’s ability to grasp the significance of the occasion and deliver victory for the nation and its passionate supporters.
“I think everyone knows what it is about. It is a friendly game, but not really a friendly game. We know what it is about and we want our people to be proud of us.”
“Surely it’s always about who has the better team and sometimes margins can determine the outcome of the game. Normally to be honest, I think we’re on the same level.”
“We’re hoping that we will win, we’re hoping that we will be successful, it will be tough, but I’m sure we can do it.”
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