Black Stars Head Coach Otto Addo on Thursday met journalists in Accra to announce his squad for the next two competitive games.
He named 23 players for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Angola, on Thursday, September 5, and Niger, on Monday, September 9.
But aside the squad announcement, there were other issues raised by journalists.
Here are five of the them:
1. Captaincy of the Black Stars
With substantive captain Andre Dede Ayew missing again from the squad, the captaincy issue of the Black Stars came up once more. Deputy Captain Thomas Teye Partey was called up but journalists wanted to know if the Ayew leadership is in the past.
Otto Addo insisted the issue with Ayew has already been discussed between him and the player but as regards the captaincy, there are players who can stand in in case injury-prone Partey misses out of the squad in future.
“First of all, I hope that Thomas won’t get injured,” Otto Addo pointed out.
“Surely with Alexander Djiku, Mohammed Kudus, and Mohammed Salisu, we have experienced players who can replace him as captain.”
2. Local players left out when they go abroad
There was concern about how the likes of Jonathan Sowah, Hamidu Abdul Fatawu and other local players are snubbed immediately they change environments in their career.
But Otto Addo insists his call-ups are not influenced by where a person plays but how he performs, assuring that he will call the best players into the national team.
“At the moment for me, it is not about the Ghana Premier League, French Ligue 1 or the EPL or Bundesliga, it is about the players and we need the best players to qualify for the World Cup. For me I don’t care, if I am convinced I will call you.”
3. Fred Asare not the best local player
On the issue of local players, Asante Kotoko goalkeeper Fred Asare is the only domestic player named in the latest squad.
But some journalists were of the opinion that Fred Asare, who was called up the last time, is not the best local player.
Even for goalkeepers plying their trade on the local scene, the journalists further stated, Asare will not be counted as the best.
They cited Medeama SC and FC Samartex goalkeepers as better than Asare, who was handed the No. 10 jersey the last time out.
Otto Addo was questioned as not monitoring the Ghana Premier League enough to have stuck with Asare with some claiming he only wanted to appease Kotoko fans.
Otto Addo admitted the difficulty in his selection of local players.
“I think it is not easy. I said last time we will watch more closely the Ghanaian Premier League. It’s very difficult and I know if I leave a player out there will be questions.”
4. Baba Yara Sports Stadium pitch
Though talk about the Baba Yara Sports Stadium pitch came up, Otto Addo said there has been a collective decision not to discuss its state.
“At the moment there are internal discussions that there would be no discussions about the pitch,” he indicated but added the playing body is concerned “because the way we want to play, we need a good pitch”.
5. Journalists demand ‘better’ treatment at Black Stars pressers
Some journalists fired at the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for not getting seats at a crucial presser like the Stars’ squad announcement.
Instead, supporters rather get the best seats at such a presser.
The venue for the presser was full to the brims with most of the journalists seen standing to ask their questions.
But they advised the Football Association to consider them next time than supporters, for instance, since they are the direct addresses of such events.
