Otto Addo, the coach of Ghana, was “surprised.” The 2026 World Cup qualifying match versus Chad will take place on astroturf that resembles concrete.
The field at the stadium where Ghana will play Chad in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers has drawn criticism from Black Stars head coach Otto Addo.
On Thursday, September 4, Stade Olympique Maréchal Idriss Déby Itno will host the matchday 7 of the African qualifiers in Group I. The stadium is beautiful, but the field is artificial turf.
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The pitch feels like concrete, thus Coach Otto Addo expressed surprise that it was authorized for an international competition in his pre-game interview.
“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.
“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.
Thursday’s clash between Chad and Ghana will kick off at 1 pm.
