Ghana coach's message to injured Ofori and co.

Ghana coach's message to injured Ofori and co.

Ghanaian national team coach Otto Addo has sympathised with players like Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Richard Ofori, who got injured on the eve of their FIFA World Cup squad announcement.

The Black Stars are headed for their fourth World Cup finals, which kicks off in Qatar this week, but will be without their top two shot-stoppers after first-choice Jojo Wollacott also broke his finger in the warm-up of a game with his club side Charlton Athletic this past weekend. 

Addo had initially selected a 55-man preliminary squad, of which both Ofori and Wollacott were part, and says injuries have cost a number of key members to his squad.

"I mean this hasn't got anything to do with disappointment solely, and [we're] feeling sad for those who got injured especially at the very last stage," said Addo.

"I feel for them, I was a player myself and I know just to be injured and not taking part, ja... This is a big stage and I really feel sorry for them, that's all."

The omission of top players from the World Cup-bound squad, including Crystal Palace utility player Jeffrey Schlupp and KRC Genk striker Joseph Paintsil, remains a huge talking point in Ghana but Addo has defended his final selection.

"I think it's very unfair if you don't know the whole story, to talk about it [selections]. This is very unfair. You know that this is not the way we build a team, we build a team, first of all, with trust," he stressed.

"If I would talk about a [single] player, how would the players who are working with me feel? Then they will think the same, like I will talk about the players did this bad or wrong, or whatever - it's not good, this is not the way you [ought to] build a team.

"You have a chance to win against any team in the world, if we are a team, if we stick together [and] if the players have trust in me and I can trust them."

By Velile Mnyandu