The Ghanaian coach, Otto Addo, assured this Wednesday that his team will have to be “brave” and “defend well” against Portugal, and anticipated a “very balanced” match for Group H of the 2022 World Cup.
“We have to be brave in this match, have confidence. The players are ready and focused. We have to defend well, that’s for sure”, said the coach at a press conference.
Addo, who was speaking ahead of the Group H match scheduled for Thursday, confessed that he was “honored to be part” of the Ghanaian team, now as a coach, after having also done so as a player, in the 2006 World Cup. Bowl.
The coach stressed that Ghana’s intention in this World Cup is to “go game by game”, and the current focus is on the duel with Portugal.
“Our focus is on the match against Portugal. We have to survive the group stage and, after that, nobody knows what can happen. We have one goal, which is to beat Portugal, which will be very difficult. After that, Ya We’ll see,” he said.
Addo, for his part, played down the issues surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo and his recent departure from Manchester United, stressing that “it is not a problem” for Ghana.
“Honestly, I don’t care, it’s not our problem if these problems can affect Portugal. Everybody wants to win games and this is a big game, a World Cup game, so I don’t think anyone will be affected by any”. , she said.
André Ayew, captain of the African team, also admitted that Ronaldo’s timing “is not a problem” for the Ghanaians, noting that the Portuguese team has “great professionals, who play in great teams and are certainly prepared.”
“Portugal is the favorite on paper, but we have to fight that. We are going to face a team that was European champion a few years ago, with world-class players, but we are going to try to make life difficult for them. In these big tournaments there can be surprises. We have to be prepared and we are going to do everything possible to get something out of this match”, anticipated the 32-year-old striker.
Ayew, who plays precisely in Qatar, at Al-Sadd, also recalled the match between the two teams in the 2014 World Cup, in which he participated and in which Portugal won 2-1, noting that the two teams “have changed a lot” since then.
“There are still a lot of players from Portugal at that time, but in Ghana only my brother and I were left. [Jordan Ayew]🇧🇷 They are different games. Both teams have evolved a lot since then. Portugal won the European [de 2016]However, we already have a very good generation. We will try to complicate the day for Portugal”, concluded the player, who will participate in the third World Cup, after South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014.
Portugal and Ghana will play on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. in Lisbon), at Estádio 974, in Doha, in a Group H match of the 2022 World Cup.
The “quinas” team will then face Uruguay, on November 28 (10:00 p.m. local time), and South Korea, led by Paulo Bento, on December 2 (6:00 p.m. local time).
The 22nd edition of the World Championship will run until December 18 in Qatar.
Source: TSF
