Ghana faced a disappointing 2-1 defeat against arch-rivals Nigeria in an international friendly at the Stade de Marrakech on Friday, marking Otto Addo's first game in charge since returning as coach.
Otto Addo, returning for his second
stint with the Black Stars, took over from Chris Hughton, who was relieved of
his duties following Ghana's underwhelming performance at the Africa Cup 2023
in Ivory Coast, where they exited at the group stage.
The Dortmund talent coach was
hoping to guide the Black Stars to a win in his second stint following a
disastrous campaign at the 2023 AFCON in Cote d'Ivoire.
However, Nigeria dominated
proceedings from the onset, applying relentless pressure to the Black Stars.
Ghana's goalkeeper, Lawrence
Ati-Zigi, displayed his prowess with an outstanding save, denying Nigeria's
attempts to take the lead.
Nigeria eventually broke the
deadlock with Cyriel Dessers converting a penalty, awarded for a handball in
Ghana's box, securing a deserved lead at halftime. Despite Ghana's efforts to
equalize, Antoine Semenyo missed a clear chance just before the break.
In the second half, Coach Otto Addo
adjusted tactics, leading to a more promising display from the Black Stars, who
gained better control and created scoring opportunities.
However, their momentum was
hampered by Jerome Opoku's contentious red card for an alleged elbow, a
decision vehemently contested by Addo and Opoku.
Despite being reduced to 10 men,
Ghana maintained possession, but Nigeria capitalized on a counterattack,
sealing the victory with Ademola Lookman's clinical finish.
Ghana salvaged some pride with a
late penalty converted by captain Jordan Ayew, marking his third consecutive
goal from spot-kicks.
Ghana aims to draw
lessons from the match as they prepare for their upcoming friendly against
Uganda on Tuesday. At the final whistle, Nigeria celebrated their first win over Ghana in 18 years.
Otto Addo is set to take over the
Ghana job on a full-time basis in the summer.
He signed a three-year contract
with the option to further for two years.
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