Otto Addo Encouraged by Second-Half Display Despite Unity Cup Loss to Nigeria
Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has expressed satisfaction with his team’s second-half performance despite a 2-1 loss to Nigeria in the 2025 Unity Cup semifinal on Wednesday night at the GTech Community Stadium in London.
Ghana trailed 2-0 at halftime, conceding through a composed finish from Cyriel Dessers and an unfortunate own goal by defender Razak Simpson.
However, the Black Stars regrouped after the break, showing more intensity and attacking intent. Their persistence paid off in the 70th minute when debutant Brandon Thomas-Asante netted a superb volley to halve the deficit.
At the post-match press conference, Addo praised his side’s response and the positive contributions from several new faces.
“The second half was really good, I have to say. Though we lost, I’m happy about the second half,” he said. “We saw some talents… we saw some players really be positive, and I’m looking forward to seeing them again.”
With a number of senior players unavailable, Addo seized the opportunity to assess younger talents and fringe players, including Thomas-Asante, Aaron Essel, and Christopher Bonsu Baah. The blend of youth and experience, while ultimately falling short on the night, gave the technical team a glimpse of potential heading into the rest of 2025 and the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Though the defeat means Ghana will not contest the final, Addo believes the Unity Cup has provided valuable lessons and a chance to build team cohesion under new circumstances.
The Black Stars will now take on Trinidad & Tobago in the third-place match on Saturday, while Nigeria square off against Jamaica in the final.
