As Ghana prepares to face Nigeria in the much-anticipated Unity Cup at the GTech Community Stadium in Brentford, head coach Otto Addo has shed light on the return of young striker Felix Afena-Gyan to the Black Stars setup, an inclusion that has stirred public interest.
Afena-Gyan, once hailed as a key figure in Ghana’s qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, had been absent from the national team since he was controversially dropped from the final squad for the tournament in Qatar.
Many Ghanaians felt the youngster was treated unfairly, particularly after he risked his club career at AS Roma to represent Ghana in the crucial double-header playoff against Nigeria.
Addressing the media on Monday, Addo explained his decision to bring Afena-Gyan back into the team, stressing the importance of giving young players renewed opportunities.
There are a lot of young players, and he’s also young, which I want to give a chance, Addo stated. Surely, we have been observing the players all the time… and yeah, he did well, and that’s why we want to give him another chance.
The coach acknowledged the challenges the striker has faced since his initial breakout, noting that Afena-Gyan’s career hasn’t unfolded as expected, but emphasized that such fluctuations are normal in football.
His career hasn’t been like he expected it to be in this, but this is normal in football. Sometimes you have ups, sometimes you have downs, And yeah, for him, it’s another opportunity to show himself.