Head coach of the Black Stars, Otto Addo, has provided an update on the team ahead of Ghana’s crucial African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Niger on Monday, September 9, 2024.

The Black Stars are determined to defeat Niger to revive their hopes for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after losing their opening match against Angola.

The game is set for 16:00 GMT at Stade Municipal de Berkane in Morocco.

During the press conference, Otto Addo confirmed that Jerome Opoku and Joseph Paintsil will not be available for the game against Niger due to injury and other issues.

He also emphasised that the team is focused on securing a win to silence critics regarding the team's performance.

Here are the three key takeaways from Black Stars coach Otto Addo’s press conference ahead of their match against Niger:

1. "Jerome had serious back problems. His body couldn’t adapt to the training ground in Kumasi, and it became so serious that he had to return to his club for special treatment. Joseph Paintsil, on the other hand, couldn’t get his paperwork sorted for the trip to Morocco and thus has been ruled out of the game."

2. "The last game showed that there are no easy matches. We learned from the first two games that anything can happen if you believe and keep going. The bench is crucial. We hopefully learned our lesson and will focus on the positives, like how well we played and the chances we created.

"Now, it’s time to work on our finishing and be more clinical. There’s been a lot of talk and negativity, which is normal when you lose. This is a big chance for us to win and prove the critics wrong."

3."From a psychological point of view, even if we had won against Angola, we would still come here to win. We are the favorites for this game, and I’m very confident we will win. In football, anything can happen, as we saw against Angola. There are no weak opponents, so we have to stay focused and concentrated."

Watch the video below:

Otto Addo gives an update on the injury list of the team ahead of Niger clash#3SportsGH pic.twitter.com/2RauFOWudQ

— #3Sports (@3SportsGh) September 9, 2024

"The last game showed that there is no easy match"

Head coach Otto Addo revealing his key takeaway from the game against Angola#3SportsGH pic.twitter.com/S6uJnXkRgQ

— #3Sports (@3SportsGh) September 9, 2024

"We are truly the favorites"

Black Stars coach Otto Addo is confident about the chances of the team against Niger today.#3SportsGH pic.twitter.com/uaKqYniBMw

— #3Sports (@3SportsGh) September 9, 2024