Otto Addo expects tough tests in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Ghana have been paired with Angola, Sudan and Niger in Group F - following the draw on Thursday. The four teams will fight for a slot at the 35th edition of the biggest football event on African soil and Otto Addo is optimistic that the Black Stars have the quality to qualify from the group. The former Borussia Dortmund trainer discusses the strength of our opponents and our chances in the group.
Here's a full transcript:
On Angola
Surely, we believe in ourselves to qualify from this group. But it’s going to be tough. To begin with Angola, I think they have a very, very good squad. I think they had a good AFCON but went out after losing1-0 to Nigeria; they did really, really well in that match, I watched it. They are actually doing good right now leading their group in the COSAFA Cup and qualifying for the next round. Also in the World Cup qualification games they did quite well, they drew against Cameroon in their last game so they have a strong squad and we can’t take it easy. It’s going to be tough, it’s going to be close but like I said I have strong belief that we can succeed against them.
On Sudan and Kwesi Appiah
Secondly, we have Sudan who are really, really doing well at the moment with Kwesi Appiah which I know personally. He is a very good coach. They are not a known squad but like I said, they are doing really, really good at the moment in the World Cup qualification games, very, very tough to beat. It’s going to be a really big challenge to beat them and for this, we have to be at 100% best. But I am excited to play against them, and like I said it’s going to be tough. It’s not easy but we have a strong team and we surely can beat them, this is for sure.
On Niger
They don’t have a good record in their last five, six, seven, eight matches. I think they won one, played some draws and lost the other games. But what you can see is that, when they lost they just lost by a lone goal. So it’s going to be tough. All the other teams are finding it tough playing against Niger so it’s going to be tough for us as well. We have to be at our 100% best to beat everyone. There is no small team in Africa at the moment. You saw at the last AFCON that very, very strong and known teams had problems with the so called unknown teams so it’s going to be tough but I think we have the quality to beat all of them. But it’s going to be close, it’s going to be tough, there are no easy games.
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