‘Super Eagles had a very chaotic preparation’ - Ikpeba urges calm among Ghana fans

Ghana recently suffered a 2-1 friendly defeat to Germany, which led to the dismissal of head coach Otto Addo, a former Borussia Dortmund teammate of Ikpeba. 

This loss extended Ghana's losing streak in friendlies to five matches, following a heavy 5-1 defeat in Austria just days earlier.

Ikpeba's comments come as Ghana's national team, the Black Stars, navigate a difficult period. 

Drawing from his experience as part of Nigeria's 1998 squad, Ikpeba explained how a challenging preparation phase can still pave the way for a strong performance when it matters most.

Speaking on SuperSport's Monday Night Football, Ikpeba remarked, "Ghana are one of the great countries of African football. 

“If you look at the statistics in the few World Cups they have been involved in, it has not been fantastic."

He also praised the Ghana FA for their prior support of Addo. "Remember when they did not qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations; it was fire on the mountain in Ghana and for the young manager. 

“He was my teammate in Dortmund, and I give credit to the Ghana FA president for keeping faith with him. Somebody will have to be careful not to win too many friendly games."

Ikpeba stressed that the heavy loss to Austria should not cause alarm among the fanbase, suggesting such results can provide crucial learning opportunities.

"We had a very chaotic preparation for the 1998 World Cup, and we lost most of our friendly games, yet we won our first two games at the World Cup," he recalled. 

"The Ghanaian fans should be a little bit calm. Yes, it's a prestige match. It's not because you lose 5-1 that it becomes the end of the road for this team."

He concluded with a message of optimism for the Black Stars. "They will learn some lessons from it, and it might be positive for them going forward in subsequent friendly matches. They will get their mojo back, and they will do well in the next World Cup."

Ghana has been drawn in Group L for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, where they will face Panama, Croatia, and England.