Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has opened up on a challenging buildup to Ghana’s international friendly against South Korea, revealing the extent to which injuries and logistical setbacks have disrupted his plans.
With Tuesday’s fixture approaching, the team finds itself short-handed after a wave of withdrawals. Francis Abu’s horrific leg fracture during the 2-0 loss to Japan headlined a growing injury list, which also forced Mohammed Salisu and Antoine Semenyo out of camp to continue treatment at their clubs.
They join several senior figures who were already unavailable for the Asian tour. Mohammed Kudus, Thomas Partey, Jordan Ayew and Fatawu Issahaku were all ruled out before departure, leaving Addo with a trimmed group of 19 players.
The coach admitted that patching up the squad at short notice proved far more complicated than simply making phone calls.
“We are happy to be here. We were facing some difficulties with some injured players. It is also, to be honest, not so easy for us to get replacements because of visa problems and issues. It is always not possible for us to get fast replacements. But we prepared very well,” he said.
Still, Addo insists the team has made the best of a difficult situation. With the available players fully engaged in camp, the technical staff is confident of giving South Korea a proper contest when the game kicks off at 11:00 a.m. local time.
