Sports News of Friday, 13 September 2024

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

It is really a pity - Otto Addo on Black Stars playing home games at a neutral venue

Black Stars head coach, Otto Addo Black Stars head coach, Otto Addo

Black Stars head coach, Otto Addo, has stated that Ghana potentially playing home games at neutral venues due to the lack of a standard stadium is a shame.

He asserted that he would love to play in front of a packed stadium during home games, hence the disappointment about the situation.

Nonetheless, the manager assured that he and his charges would make the best out of the concerning situation.

"If it comes to this and this is how it looks, then it's really a pity. Surely, we love to play in front of our home crowd, but at the end of the day, we have to make the best out of this situation," he said in a video shared by Ghanaian reporter Micky Jnr on X.

"There is nothing we can do about it because it's a CAF decision. I think we should manage and play at home so that our crowd can see us," he added.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) withdrew its approval of Baba Yara Sports Stadium to host Ghana's remaining home games in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers.

Otto Addo, after Ghana's 1-0 defeat to Angola, highlighted how the poor state of the Baba Yara pitch contributed to the defeat.

"It was unlucky for Mumin, but we made some errors even before that situation. But the pitch was not good, and we can't overlook that," he said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has directed the Ghana Football Association to submit the University of Ghana Stadium and the Accra Sports Stadium for consideration to host the remaining home games.

Ghana has two home games left in the qualifiers against Sudan and Niger. They will face Sudan in October 2024 before hosting Niger in November 2024.

EE/BB