World Cup and friendlies are different – Hans Sarpei on Ghana’s form under axed Otto Addo

Former Ghana international Hans Sarpei is not concerned about the jerky form of the Black Stars in friendlies ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

Ghana lost four consecutive friendlies, with the most recent defeat to Germany necessitated the dismissal of coach Otto Addo.

The former Dortmund trainer scout had been under scrutiny despite qualifying Ghana for the upcoming global showpiece, after failing to reach the 2025 AFCON – the first time in 20 years.

In an interview with JoySports, Sarpei said Otto should continue as head coach, noting the “totally different” nature of friendlies compared to competitive matches.

“When we didn’t qualify for the [AFCON], there was a lot of shouting.

“Then he qualified us for the World Cup. He brought the team to the World Cup; he should go with the team [to the World Cup]. World Cup and friendly games are totally different,” Sarpei said.

Meanwhile, former Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah, now with the Sudan national team, ex-Morocco coach Walid Regragui, and Saudi Arabia boss Herve Renard are among the names being linked with the vacant position.

Up next, the Black Stars will travel to North America to face Mexico on May 22, before taking on Wales on June 2 as part of preparations for the World Cup.

Ghana has been drawn in Group L alongside England, Croatia, and Panama and will aim to reach the knockout stage for the first time since 2010.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.