I can’t compare the current players to Asamoah Gyan, Essien, Appiah and co – Otto Addo

Black Stars head coach Nana Otto Addo, has admitted that he cannot compare the current crop of players representing the national team to past greats such as Asamoah Gyan, Michael Essien, and Stephen Appiah, among others.

In recent years, the team has experienced a significant decline since these iconic players retired from football. Ghana, a four-time African champion, has only thrived on past glories and has struggled to make a positive impact both on African soil and the international stage.

Having missed out on the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) eight times, the Black Stars are now at risk of missing the 2025 tournament after failing to win a single game in the qualifiers. They currently have just two points, trailing second-placed Sudan by five points and already-qualified Angola by 10 points.

Following Ghana’s defeat to Sudan in Libya, Otto Addo admitted that the current players are not at the same level as those who previously played for top European teams.

I can't compare players who have been playing at Chelsea, Juventus, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, and AC Milan. We had all these kinds of players. With all respect to our current players, they are not at that level at the moment,” he told the Ghana Football Association (GFA) media team.

However, Addo remains optimistic, believing that the younger players could reach those heights in the future and that there is no room for excuses.

Maybe they will get there one day, but they're not there yet. And this is no excuse. We have to beat everybody,” he added.

The bigger picture

Looking ahead, Otto Addo remains in charge and hopes to lead his team to victory in the two remaining qualifiers, with the hope that Sudan will falter, allowing Ghana to qualify ahead of them.

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