Otto Addo believes Caleb Yirenkyi has a bright future despite poor display

Otto Addo has backed Caleb Yirenkyi to bounce back from a difficult outing in Ghana's 5-1 loss to Austria, insisting the 20-year-old has a bright future ahead despite the setback.

The Black Stars head coach faced questions after deploying Yirenkyi, a natural midfielder, at right-back in Vienna—a decision that drew scrutiny following a difficult individual performance. But Addo defended the youngster while pointing to the circumstances that forced his hand.

"He is 19-20 years old and has a lot of things to learn under this pressure to grow. I am not anxious about his future. I believe he will have a bright future. Maybe today it was just one mistake," Addo said.

The coach reminded critics of Yirenkyi's contributions in Ghana's successful World Cup qualifying campaign.

"It's easy now to say he didn't do well there, but he did well in some matches we won and qualified for the World Cup."

Addo explained that Yirenkyi has been forced to play out of position due to injuries to specialist right-backs Alidu Seidu and Tariq Lamptey, leaving the young midfielder to fill a gap.

"We used to play with Alidu Seidu, who has a little bit issues with injuries at his club. Also Tariq Lamptey, who has a long-term injury. So Caleb jumped into that position."

With the arrival of Marvin Senaya, Yirenkyi may eventually be restored to his natural midfield role. But Addo expressed confidence that the experience, however difficult, will serve the teenager well in his development.

"He has a lot of things to learn under this pressure to grow."