Im currently learning GO and i decided to redo a character ranker i made in python a year ago as an exercise. The program takes user input and makes a slice of structs with them (the struct consists of a name inputted and a score of 0), then a function creates matches between the inputed characters so the user can choose between the two in pair.
full code here

type Char struct {
    Name  string
    Score uint8
}

func main() {
    baseSlice := InputCharacters()
    matchups := MatchMaking(baseSlice)
    voting := Voting(matchups)
    n := 0
    for _, v := range voting {
        fmt.Printf("%d: %v(%v)n", n, v.Name, v.Score)
        n++
    }
    /* the for returns 2 copies of each character,
       none of them have any points */

}

func InputCharacters() []structs.Char {

    var charSlice []structs.Char = []structs.Char{}
    var reader = bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin)

    for {

        fmt.Println("Enter a character name (or quit/q to finish):")

        name, err := reader.ReadString('n')
        name = strings.TrimSpace(name)
        if err != nil {
            fmt.Printf("Reading error: %v", err)
        }

        if name == "quit" || name == "q" {
            return charSlice
        }

        for i := range charSlice {
            if charSlice[i].Name == name {
                charSlicePostDelete := structs.RemoveElement(charSlice, i)
                charSlice = charSlicePostDelete
                break
            }
        }

        charSlice = append(charSlice, structs.Char{Name: name, Score: 0})

    }
}

func MatchMaking(arr []structs.Char) map[[2]structs.Char]bool {
    m := make(map[[2]structs.Char]bool)
    for _, v1 := range arr {
        for _, v2 := range arr {
            pair := [2]structs.Char{v1, v2}

            if pair[0].Name == pair[1].Name {
                continue
            }

            sortedPair := [2]structs.Char{SortAlphabetically(pair[0], pair[1]), SortAlphabeticallyReverse(pair[0], pair[1])}
            if _, ok := m[sortedPair]; !ok {
                m[sortedPair] = true
            }
        }
    }
    return m
}

func Voting(pairs map[[2]structs.Char]bool) []structs.Char {

    var reader = bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin)

    for i := range pairs {
        fmt.Println("Vote for your favourite (0 for left, 1 for right)")
        fmt.Printf("%v - %vn", i[0].Name, i[1].Name)
        name, err := reader.ReadString('n')
        name = strings.TrimSpace(name)
        if err != nil {
            fmt.Printf("Reading error: %v", err)
        }
        nameToInt, err := strconv.ParseInt(name, 0, 8)
        if err != nil {
            fmt.Printf("Reading error: %v", err)
        }
        switch nameToInt {
        case 0:
            i[0].Score = i[0].Score + 1
        case 1:
            i[1].Score = i[1].Score + 1
        }
    }

    var charArr []structs.Char = make([]structs.Char, 0, len(pairs)*2)
    for i := range pairs {
        charArr = append(charArr, i[0], i[1])
    }
    return charArr

}


func SortAlphabetically(a, b structs.Char) structs.Char {
    if a.Name < b.Name {
        return a
    }
    return b
}

func SortAlphabeticallyReverse(a, b structs.Char) structs.Char {
    if a.Name > b.Name {
        return a
    }
    return b
}

I want the Matchmaking func to return pointers to the elements of the original []structs.Char instead of copies, so that i can then change the score property in a different function and that change will be seen in the original slice.
The MatchMaking() func instead returns a different copy of the char struct each type that struct instance is needed, so if Mathmaking returns two pairs with the struct ‘c’, each ‘c’ will be a different copy of that struct.
I’m a bit confused by the concept of pointers and how they work in go so im not sure how to implement this to my functions.