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Former Black Stars Assistant Coach, Ibrahim Tanko claims he is unfazed by the Ghana FA’s decision not to hand him any national team appointment since he was replaced by Coach Annor Walker as Local Black Stars trainer in April 2021.

The ex-Borussia Dortmund forward served as Assistant Coach of the Black Stars, which finished in the Round of 16 of the 2019 Africa cup of Nations.

The 1997 Uefa Champions League winner, qualified the Black Meteors to 2019 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 12 years but missed out on a place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The ex-SC Freiburg and King Faisal player also took charge of the Local Black Stars in January 2020 until April 2021. For the past one year, Ibrahim Tanko has not been considered for any national team role by the GFA.

Despite being snubbed, the UEFA License A holder insists he supports current Local Black Stars Coach Annor Walker and other trainers considered for national team jobs.

“Whether I say I’m hurt or not, it changes nothing. Every national team has a committee. GFA Executive Council takes decisions. It won’t be fair to say I must get a national team job. We have a lot of coaches in Ghana and we can all do the job. We must support whoever gets the job,” Tanko told Accra based Original FM.

“Coach Annor is there now with Local Black Stars. He’s a senior coach we respect so we are hoping he can do well. They saw something in him, they feel they chose the right person who won’t disgrace them. I don’t appoint myself so even if I talk it will amount to nothing so we just have to support him,” he added.

Black Stars Coach Otto Addo has justified his decision to name Mubarak Wakaso in Ghana’s squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, stating he is an experienced player with proven quality.

The 31-year-old’s inclusion in the Black Stars 34-man squad has attracted widespread criticisms since the China based midfielder has not played competitive club football with Shenzhen FC since August 11, 2021.

Wakaso was unable to feature for Ghana at the AFCON 2021 and in the World Cup qualifying play-off against Nigeria due to injury. But, the ex-Granada man is fit and has been training with the Black Stars in Cape Coast.

“We have some experienced players who showed that they have the quality. May I ask if you were there when we beat South Africa? How did you see his performance?,” Otto Addo quizzed a journalist at the pre-match presser, who responded, “It was great.”

“Ah ok. So, this is the answer,” Otto Addo added.

The Black Stars will open their AFCON 2023 qualifiers with a Group E encounter against Madagascar on Wednesday in Cape Coast before facing Central African Republic on June 5.

Black Stars Coach Otto Addo says he is saddened by the recent decision by Italy based midfielder Alfred Duncan to retire from international football, six months prior to Ghana’s campaign at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

The Fiorentina man last Saturday announced his decision to quit the national team over what he described as discrimination and unfair treatment by the Ghana FA and Coaches Avram Grant, Kwesi Appiah and CK Akonnor.

Otto Addo claims he made a final attempt to invite the 29-year-old in February for the 2022 World Cup play-off against Nigeria but the ex-Inter Milan and Sassuolo player stated his reasons for his inability to honor the call-up.

“The last time I called him was February. We had good talks. I wanted to invite him. He told me the reason why he didn’t want to come. That’s it, I had to accept it. It was hard for me to understand him because he had the opportunity to join a team that’s going to the World Cup but he has his reasons and I have to accept it,” Otto Addo told the media at a pre-match presser.

“He congratulated me when we qualified, texted me. He is a good guy but he had a bad experience. The business of football is hard but I’m a little bit sad that he decided this way,” the Dortmund Talent Coach added.

Alfred Duncan made just 9 appearances for Ghana since his debut in 2012 against Cape Verde. His last appearance for the Black Stars was against South Africa in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.