Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has admitted that Ghana’s performance was below par following the squad’s draw with Chad in yesterday’s clash at N’Djamena.

Speaking during the post-match press conference, the head coach slammed his side for their wastefulness despite dominating play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. According to him, the team wasted opportunities they got from their several dead-ball situations.

“I can’t say we played excellently, or we played well, because it was a draw. The result is everything; we had a lot of corners, we did nothing out of that…We had a lot of shots, attempts on goal, we had a lot of ball possession, and normally we have to win this game. This, in the end, surely, is not good enough, and we have to improve, especially on our execution,” Otto Addo said.

He blamed the poor condition of the pitch in N’Djamena for slowing down Ghana’s tempo and limiting their ability to break down Chad’s defence.

“It’s very difficult to play on this terrain when it’s not watered. We can’t play fast, so it’s a disadvantage for us,” he continued.

He then went on to applaud Chad for their defensive effort and late equaliser, which earned them their late goal.

Ghana appeared on course for another victory in Group I when Jordan Ayew put them ahead in the 17th minute. But the Chadians struck late, with Celestine Ecua equalising in the 88th minute to frustrate the four-time African champions in N’Djamena.

Speaking after the match, Addo expressed disappointment that the Black Stars will have little time to regroup as they prepare to host Mali in a crucial Matchday 8 encounter at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday, September 8, with kick-off at 19:00 GMT.

Despite the setback, Ghana remain top of Group I with 16 points.

Ghana’s starting lineup against Chad featured Benjamin Asare in goal (Hearts of Oak); a back four of Tariq Lamptey (Fiorentina), Gideon Mensah (Auxerre), Mohammed Salisu (AS Monaco), and Jerome Opoku (İstanbul Başakşehir); midfielders Thomas Partey (Villarreal) and Elisha Owusu (Auxerre); Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham Hotspur) in the attacking midfield role; Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth) and Caleb Yirenkyi (FC Nordsjaelland) on the wings; with Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace) leading the line as captain.

Meanwhile, a few hours before the clash, Ghana’s head coach Otto Addo had expressed his discontent with the state of the pitch set to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers clash between the Ghana Black Stars and Chad today.

During a pre-match interview, Otto Addo questioned how FIFA could approve such a deteriorating pitch for the game, describing it as being as hard as concrete and raising concerns about players’ comfort and ability to perform at their best.

“Yeah, so, yeah, I'm really surprised that they have allowed this pitch for an international match. The pitch is really, really not good. It's very, very hard for the players; it's like playing on concrete. But yeah, what can we do? We have to take it as it comes, and we are prepared,” he assured.

He continued that his outfit discovered the sorry state of the pitch today, September 4, a few hours ahead of the clash with Chad, stressing that several better options could have been chosen.

“We observed everything today. Like I said, it's not a good AstroTurf, to be honest. Nowadays, there are far better Astroturfs, which are also much healthier for the players,” Coach Otto Addo shared as quoted on the ghanafa.org,” he added.

Also, all twenty-four invited players were reported to travel to N'Djamena with Otto Addo. The Black Stars will wrap up their qualifiers against the Central African Republic and Comoros in October.

Coach Otto Addo formally announced the Black Stars squad for Ghana’s upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Mali on the evening of Tuesday, August 26.

The release included a full list of 24 players, featuring both returning stars and debutants. Some players were rewarded for their stellar performances in the Unity Cup and also in their respective clubs.

Out of the twenty-four-man squad, four of them are debutants for the senior national team.

Union Berlin forward, Derrick Arthur Köhn, secured a call-up after an outstanding season in Germany, and Caleb Yirenkyi of FC Nordsjaelland was also called up again following his display of maturity and excellent form during the Unity Cup and at the club level.

Christopher Bonsu Baah of Al-Qadsiah was also included in Otto Addo's squad. Following his giant strides in the Saudi.

Goalkeeper Joseph Anang of St. Patrick’s Athletic, based in Ireland, also got his first senior nod.

Players like Tariq Lamptey, who has been away following an injury, have also been called back.

According to Otto Addo's list, the goalkeepers include Lawrence Ati Zigi, Joseph Anang and popular Hearts of Oak keeper Benjamin Asare, who earned admiration of many following his impressive display in his last call-up.

See the list below:GoalkeepersLawrence Ati Zigi – St. Gallen

Joseph Anang – St. Patrick's Athletic

Benjamin Asare – Accra Hearts of Oak

DefendersGideon Mensah – AJ Auxerre

Derrick Arthur Köhn – Union Berlin

Mohammed Salisu – AS Monaco

Jerome Opoku – İstanbul Başakşehir

Alexander Djiku – Fenerbahçe

Jonas Adjetey – FC Basel

Tariq Lamptey – Brighton & Hove Albion

Caleb Yirenkyi – FC Nordsjaelland

MidfieldersElisha Owusu – AJ Auxerre

Mohammed Kudus – Tottenham Hotspur

Ibrahim Osman – AJ Auxerre

Ibrahim Sulemana – Atalanta BC

Thomas Partey – Villarreal CF

Abdul Salis Samed – OGC Nice

ForwardsAntoine Semenyo – AFC Bournemouth

Kamaldeen Sulemana – Atalanta BC

Joseph Paintsil – LA Galaxy

Jerry Afriyie – RAAL La Louvière

Jordan Ayew – Leicester City

Christopher Bonsu Baah – Al-Qadsiah

Iñaki Williams – Athletic Club