President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku was blunt in an address to the Black Stars team as they opened final preparations for the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar.
Coach Otto Addo and his final squad of 26 have currently pitched camp in neighboring Abu Dhabi where they are set to take on Switzerland in a final friendly match toward Ghana’s 4th participation at the global tournament.
In a welcome address, the GFA boss admonished the players to approach the Mundial with the right mentality while urging them to better Ghana’s best performance of 2010 where they reached the last 8.
“We are here to compete at the highest level of football. We are here not to make up the numbers.
“We have been at the Mundial before, the last time we went out at the quarterfinals which means we are competitive enough to play at this level and equal that feat or perhaps go further.
“This is possible, but it will be possible if we all behave in a certain way. If all of us behave well,” Kurt Okraku stated.
He further told the players to pay attention to key details, put up good behaviour in camp and be each other’s keeper on-field.
“We are not here to joke. The last time Ghana was at the Mundial, we played Portugal; Ghana scored two, and Portugal scored one but the latter won the game.
“I used this because there are small details that make a team strong and paying attention to them is important.
“I wish you well. Let’s comport ourselves here; it is very important. What we do here in the last few hours is so crucial to what is likely to happen in the group games.
“Let us be there for each other. In the opening minutes of the Ghana-Brazil friendly game, I didn’t see us being there for each other when it was tough; when we were unsettled.
“But these are lessons that we can pick from those exercises. So let’s stay with each other, get each other up so we can go through difficult battles… Good luck,” Mr. Okraku added.
At the 2022 Fifa World Cup, Ghana will come up against Portugal again in Group H which also houses South Korea and Uruguay.
The Black Stars kick-start their campaign against the Portuguese at Stadium 974 on November 24.
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