Former Ghana international, Augustine Ahinful, has appealed for support for the Black Stars technical team under the leadership of Otto Addo.
Addo was reinstated as the head coach of the senior national team with a 34-month contract, extendable to 24 months, following the dismissal of Chris Hughton due to the team’s disappointing performance at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.
John Paintsil and Joseph Laumann have been appointed as the first and second assistant coaches, respectively, with Fatawu Dauda taking on the role of goalkeepers’ trainer.
In Addo’s initial two matches in charge, the Black Stars suffered a 2-1 defeat against Nigeria and were held to a 2-2 draw by Uganda.
Despite these results, Ahinful has called on Ghanaians to support the coach and his team, emphasizing the importance of patience in building a strong squad capable of competing at the highest level.
“Those games were just friendly matches,”Ahinful stated in an interview with Graphic Sports.
“We need to give them whatever confidence they need, whatever help that we can give them to succeed,” he added.
However, Ahinful believes that setbacks in friendly matches can serve as valuable learning experiences and highlight the importance of identifying weaknesses and striving for improvement.
“Losing friendly matches is sometimes good for the team. It should put you on your toes and push you to do well in subsequent matches,” he added.
The Black Stars will regroup for their Matchday 3 and 4 fixtures of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic on June 6 and 10, respectively.