Otto Addo has dismissed reports that top Ghana Football Association officials affected the Ghana squad for the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar.
There were claims that some top GFA officials were influencing which players should board the plane to the Gulf nation before naming his final squad for the global competition.
Following the claims, Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo publicly pleaded with the country’s football head Kurt Okraku and his staff to allow the Black Stars technical bench to make their own judgments.
After naming his final lineup, Addo clarified that he did so with his technical bench and that there was no intervention.
“I’d like to thank GFA President [Kurt Okraku] for allowing me to do my job,” he told the reporters, as reported by Kessben Online.
“That is the most essential thing to me.” To be able to make decisions on my own, while working with the technical team.”
Injured goalkeepers Joe Wollacott of Charlton Athletic and Richard Ofori of Orlando Pirates were left out of Addo’s final roster.
Other players missing are Joseph Paintsil, who is having a fantastic season with KRC Genk in Belgium, Felix Afen-Gyan, a promising attacker, and Crystal Palace winger Jeffrey Schlupp.
Before the Black Stars travel to Qatar, Addo will have a friendly against Switzerland at Baniyas Stadium on November 17.
Ghana has been assigned to Group H, which includes Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay. On November 24, they will open their campaign against Portugal at Stadium 974.
They will then face South Korea on November 28 at Education City Stadium before facing Uruguay on December 2 at Al Wakrah Sports Complex.
