Ghana head coach Otto Addo believes the Black Stars deserved better from their 2-1 loss to Nigeria in Friday’s international friendly in Morocco.

The Black Stars scored late on after Nigeria had taken a 2-0 lead through Cyriel Dessers and Ademola Lookman at Grande de stade Marrakech. Playing with 10-men, the Black Stars were awarded a 95th minute penalty that was expertly converted by Jordan Ayew but it wasn’t enough to level matters as Nigeria held on to win the contest.

Speaking to ghanafa.org after the game, Addo praised his players for their second half performance.

“I don’t like to look too much about the positives because we lost. But I think we were a bit unlucky the way we conceded the first goal as the ball hit the hand but like I said we were unlucky. First half they had the better chances but in the second half we really, really did well,” said Addo.

“If you want to come to the positive signs, the things we did in the second half with 10 men was good. We controlled them; we were a little bit unlucky with the finishing. I think what killed us was their second goal because we were close to actually equalize but in all, a draw would have been deserved but like I said we lost and we have to improve and move on.”

On Jerome Opoku’s red card for dissent, he said: “I think there is a little bit of problem of language, especially with English players. Because for them it is normal to use certain words and they don’t mean it that way but if you get to another country and play international matches and the referees are not so good in English and just hear a special word then they think like O, he is saying something to him so it was unlucky but also Jerome has to learn out of this and I know it, like I said it’s a habit, you know those guys from London this is the way they speak but he has to change.”