Black Stars coach Otto Addo discussed the importance of their upcoming friendly matches against Nigeria and Ugganda in preparing for their critical 2026 World Cup qualifying games.
Black Stars' initial struggles in the World Cup qualifiers—having secured a win against Madagascar but suffered a defeat to Comoros— have left the team in urgent need of victories against Mali and the Central African Republic in June to reignite their campaign for a spot in the World Cup, slated to be co-hosted by USA, Mexico, and Canada.
Addo emphasised that each game presents unique challenges and opportunities, stating, "Each match has different preferences and different options. But also different hurdles and different solutions and for us it’s always the aim to find the right solutions defensively and offensively."
He believes that the matches against Nigeria and Uganda will provide valuable insights and experience for the team, regardless of the outcome.
"I think Nigeria and Uganda it's an optimal preparation for the team," Addo stated. "However the game ends, if we take the right conclusions out of these games then we can prepare ourselves for the upcoming matches against Mali and Central African Republic."
With the stakes high, Addo is focused on ensuring that his team learns from every match and applies those lessons moving forward.
Ghana will play Nigeria on Friday, March 22, 2024, and then four days later take on Uganda, all two games taking place in Marrakech.