Ghana's national football team suffered a humiliating 1-5 defeat to Austria in their first of two pre-World Cup friendlies in Vienna. While Ghana performed reasonably well in the first half, they conceded four goals in quick succession in the second half under a strong comeback from Austria, coached by Ralf Rangnick. After the match, Ghana's national team coach, Otto Addo, gave an interview to the media.

Otto Addo said: "It was a very tough game for us. We created some good chances and could have scored. We knew the opponent was pressing high and trying to pass to the forwards once they regained possession, creating some good scoring opportunities. We should have scored at least one of those three or four chances. In some situations, we could have played smarter. I understand the referee's decisions were difficult, and one or two could have been penalties, but that's football."

"We conceded a goal in the end. We should have tightened our defense earlier, but the ball hit Jonas Agetay's hand, giving the opponent a penalty and a goal. Although there were fouls that went unpunished earlier, and we still had opportunities to counter-attack, that's football, and we have to do better. The performance in the second half was almost a disaster, especially after conceding the third goal. The team had problems in the transition between attack and defense, and we need to learn from that."

“The performance in the second half was far from ideal. Every player is fighting for the World Cup, and we need to show a higher intensity on the field. I am not encouraging fouls, but we must protect ourselves better. The opponents committed frequent fouls, while we only received one yellow card. I hope the players will perform more and better in one-on-one defense and overall defense. The performance in the second half was very poor.”

“We overestimated our abilities a little in the first half. The game could have been divided into two very different halves, but the young players can learn a lot from that experience. There’s no need to talk too much about past performances now; we need to focus on the next game. The next opponent is stronger, but we must give it our all, rebuild the team’s confidence, and show our ability to compete at the highest level. Tonight was definitely a very tough night for us.”

"We can't say we should have played exceptionally well, but the result is certainly disappointing. Our overall performance in the first half was decent, but our form clearly dipped in the second half. We created numerous chances and should have scored; for example, Prince had a good option. Conceding the penalty was unlucky, and there were also some unpunished fouls. Overall, our second-half performance was terrible, especially after we went 2-0 down. Austria came alive and brought on new players, making the situation even more difficult after conceding the third goal. The match was very intense, and we must learn from it."

"When we win, I take full responsibility, but we are a team. Winning or losing is not just my responsibility; the entire coaching staff and players should share the burden. The first two goals could have been avoided, and we still have many problems defensively."

Finally, Otto Addo emphasized the importance of mental stability, saying, "After conceding the third goal, the team still needs to maintain focus and intensity. I understand the players will be disappointed, but this is precisely the moment to test their mental fortitude. The first two goals were relatively easy to defend, but the third through fifth goals exposed defensive weaknesses. We must be more mentally solid and concentrate to avoid a similar situation from happening again."

Image source: Internet/Ghana National Team Official Website