Outspoken sports journalist Collins Atta Poku has criticized Black Stars head coach Otto Addo for his handling of the team’s captaincy issue.
According to Poku, the coach, who is a former player, should have known better than to deviate from the established structure for appointing captains in the absence of a substantive leader.
The Sompa FM journalist stated that Otto Addo’s decision to give Kudus the captaincy for the matches against Sudan in October 2024, only to later revert his decision and appoint Jordan Ayew for the upcoming matches against Niger and Angola, does not augur well for the team.
Speaking in an interview with 3Sports, Atta Poku chided Otto Addo for his handling of the captaincy issue, adding that it puts unnecessary pressure on the players.
“After giving him the captaincy in October 2024, Otto Addo now says he wants Kudus to grow into the role, which means what he exhibited in the last round of matches was not enough. So, we go back to what should have been done in October 2024 by giving Jordan the captain’s armband.
“Coaches who have played for the Black Stars ought to know better concerning the captaincy issue but only end up exacerbating the situation and increasing the pressure on the players,” he said.
This comes after Otto Addo announced that Jordan Ayew will captain the Black Stars in their two games against Angola and Niger in the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Also, eight players withdrawing from the team has been a big blow for the Black Stars as they aim to win against Niger and Angola and hope Sudan lose their remaining matches to secure qualification.
After four matches, Ghana are third in Group F with two points. Sudan are in second place with seven points, while Angola lead with twelve points.
Ghana will play Angola on November 15, 2024, and return to host Niger at the Accra Sports Stadium on November 18, 2024.
Source: Ghanaweb