Let’s deal with Sudan first, then galamsey — Otto Addo

Black Stars Head Coach, Otto Addo, has refused to be drawn into the raging public debate on the menace of illegal mining, infamously referred to as galamsey, insisting the team have to focus first on a must-win Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) doubleheader against Sudan.

Answering questions from the media after announcing a 25-man squad for the two matches on October 10 in Accra and the return in Libya on October 15, the coach acknowledged the negative effects of illegal mining but was quick to put to bed calls for national team players to take a stance against galamsey during the upcoming international fixtures.

“We have a lot of issues already; to be honest, it’s a very serious problem, but we have to do our jobs,” Coach OttoAddo shrugged aside the suggestion.

“There are a lot of things which have distracted us, even myself, also I was questioning myself what I could have done better. Maybe, if I had an accident, there is nothing I can do about it. But there are already many other distractions within the team, so to be honest, we are focusing on Sudan and nothing else,” he explained.

On a single point after two qualifying matches and trailing the group-leading Angola by five points, as well as second-placed Sudan by two in points in the qualifiers qualifying group F, getting good results against the Sudanese is very crucial to Ghana’s qualification hopes for the competition that the national team has not failed to qualify for since 2004.

This is not a loss on Coach Otto Addo, but he maintains his belief that the Black Stars will come good against what he confessed as a good side.

“We have been in difficult situations before. I faced a lot of negativity before my first appearance here, but when I came, we played against Nigeria and we qualified. Then when I came back for the second time, also a lot of negativity and difficult situations, we played against Mali and we won,” he alluded.

“We are in the same difficult situation, but to be honest, I hate to lose, and I was also very disappointed after the Angola and Niger games, but losses or disappointments are part of football so we must have a winning spirit all the time, not just when we play against Nigeria, Mali or whoever.”

“It has to be there against every team, and this was missing in the last game, it’s surely my responsibility to put the players on their toes because whether we win or not it’s their responsibility on the pitch but of course, I have to select the right players and ensure I direct them to win for Ghana and we will do that against Sudan,” he added.