"He needs to simplify his game"- Otto Addo tells Gideon Mensah after Mali win

Ghana coach Otto Addo has candidly spoken to defender Gideon Mensah over concerns about his defending after the World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Mali. 

The Auxerre left-back has been heavily criticised in the September window after struggles in both games, despite Ghana picking four points out of the maximum six.

After the game against Mali, Addo disclosed at the post-match conference he has had talks with the player, telling him to simplify his play.

"I think sometimes he is a little too confident and after the Chad game we had some talks. Everyone who has played football at the highest level will understand. Gideon sometimes makes deception, one inside and one outside. If he does that in La Liga it is fine because La Liga if you lose the ball your opponent will counter press you, you go inside one and you can play the ball.

"But in Africa, sometimes you are tired, sometimes you make deceptions with the ball left and you come right again for your left foot and you stay there. So he needs to simplify his game sometimes.

"I think he didn't need to complicate things. But it is difficult sometimes if you can from a different environment to switch your thinking and this one truly has to do better. But I have to say congrats on how he defended really really well."

The Black Stars will next travel to play the Central African Republic before ending their qualifying run with a match against Comoros in Accra in October.

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