Ghana head coach Otto Addo has thrown his support behind Antoine Semenyo, praising the forward’s overall contribution in the recent World Cup Qualifiers, despite criticism over his lack of goals.
Semenyo, who has been in impressive form for AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League, failed to find the back of the net in Ghana’s matches against Chad and Mali during the September international window.
The 25-year-old had two clear chances across both games, but was unable to convert. Ghana, however, managed to secure four points, keeping their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup alive, with the decisive fixtures set for October.
Addo singled out Semenyo’s display against Mali for special praise, describing it as “excellent.”
“It is difficult to compare games in the Premier League and games in Africa, and in Ghana. It is very, very difficult, and all games have their own nature. Surely, you can say he stands out more in the Premier League, but for me today he was excellent,” Addo said.
“He fought until he could not run anymore. Maybe he thought he could stay a little longer, but he was fighting. He was the lone fighter upfront and for me, I am very glad with his performance. He put them under pressure, he made a lot of runs, he could run, so others could shine. I am very, very happy with his performance and his runs especially,” he added.
Semenyo has so far scored once in seven appearances during the ongoing World Cup qualifiers.
Ghana will next face the Central African Republic away before hosting Comoros in Accra to wrap up their Group I campaign.
