Interim Black Stars Head Coach Otto Addo says that leading the senior male national team to qualify for the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup is a big step in his career as a coach.
Addo, who was appointed in February to lead the Black Stars in the World Cup play-off game against Nigeria, delivered the fourth World Cup berth for the country on Tuesday, becoming the first Ghanaian footballer to qualify for the World Cup both as a player and a coach.
Describing the feeling after his achievement, Addo noted that it wasone that cannot be compared to nothing at the moment.
“It is a big achievement for me. I think I have had some big achievements that maybe equal to this, winning the German Cup, German League title and playing for Ghana at the World Cup, but this is really a big step for me as a coach.”
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, he described it as a feat that has come earlier than expected, and thanked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kurt Okraku and the interim technical team comprising Chris Hughton, Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, George Boateng and Richard Kingson for the immense faith and support he enjoyed.
He said the technical team was very important in getting Ghana to the World Cup.
“Having Chris Hughton with that vast coaching experience came in handy for us. He came in at the right moments with the right plans to change our approach during the games. George Boateng, Mas-Ud Didi Dramani and Richard Kingson were masterful, hard-working and brought ideas that worked for the good of the team.”
This technical team is the best I could ever wish for, it was excellent working together with them and the players to achieve this huge success, he added.
The 46-year-old current Borussia Dortmund trainer-scout stated that the players deserved all the praise for the feat chalked, especially for adapting so quickly to all that the technical team brought on board within this short period.
He thanked his predecessors Charles Akonnor and Milovan Rajevac for starting the journey as well as all the players who got involved in the journey at one point or the other; adding that “this success is for all the coaches and players who started the journey, they should feel very proud wherever they are and know that they were part of this history.”
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
