Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has backed AFC Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo who has come under criticism over his performances for the Black Stars.
Semenyo played 73 minutes in Ghana’s hard fought 1-0 win over Mali in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The win keeps Ghana in pole position to qualify to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with two more qualification games remaining on the schedule.
Aside attempting a tame shot off a swivel inside the penalty box close to the end of the first half, Semenyo’s presence was largely not felt in the game.
Despite producing consistent solid production for his English Premier League side Bournemouth, Semenyo has failed to replicate that with the Black Stars but Otto Addo came to the defence of his under fire forward in hos post-Mali game presser.
“It’s difficult to compare games from the Premier League with games in Africa and in Ghana, it’s very difficult and all games have their own nature. Surely, you can say that he stands more out in the Premier League but for me today, he was excellent. He fought until he couldn’t run anymore. I was very satisfied with his performance.”
Semenyo was recently nominated for the EPL Player of the Month and Goal of the Month in August Awards.
