Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has acknowledged the quality of Niger's players ahead of their crucial AFCON qualifier later this evening.

Addo’s comments come in the wake of a 1-0 defeat to Angola at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi, a loss that ended Ghana’s 24-year unbeaten home run.

Despite the setback, Addo remains confident that his players have moved past the defeat and are motivated to bounce back.

He emphasized the importance of being mindful of Niger’s potential to cause an upset, especially with the absence of key players Jerome Opoku and Joseph Painstil.

Addo highlighted Niger's strengths, saying, "Absolutely, we observed them, we watched a lot of games that they played, and they look strong.

They have good players on their team and they play together as a team. They had some losses, but it was always very, very close, and they also had their chances, so we have to be aware of that."

He further added, "They have good strikers, they defend very well, tactically they are well-educated, so it's not going to be easy, but I'm sure that if we do our best, if we can create as many chances as we did in the last game against Angola, we will force the luck to come back to us."

With a strong squad and a determined mindset, the Black Stars are aiming to secure a win and stay in contention for a spot in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco after losing their opening match 1-0 at home to Angola.

The team is prepared to give their all and will focus on capitalizing on scoring opportunities to get back on track.