Black Stars head coach Otto Addo
Black Stars head coach Otto Addo’s job has been on the line following the team’s poor performance in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Many Ghanaians have called for the manager’s dismissal, arguing that qualifying for AFCON is non-negotiable, and the coach has proven unfit to lead the team.
Otto Addo himself acknowledged the significance of missing out on AFCON to Ghanaians and, therefore, apologized for the disastrous outcome.
“I am ready to apologize. I am so sorry that we did not do well and qualify. I am sorry because I know how it feels and how Ghanaians are hurt. I am so sorry,” he said after the defeat against Niger.
However, there is very little his apology can achieve, as his performance over the last few months has evidently proven that he needs to be shown the exit.
Here are four reasons Otto Addo needs to be sacked:
Danger of Missing 2026 World Cup
Under the new requirements, AFCON qualifiers appear to be much easier compared to the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
While the top two teams in a group of four qualify for AFCON, only the first-placed team in a group of nine qualifies directly for the World Cup, with the second-placed team entering an inter-continental playoff for qualification.
Hence, there are serious doubts about Otto Addo’s ability to lead the team to finish top of their group, especially after placing last in an AFCON qualifying group that included Niger, Angola, and Sudan.
Ghana now risks missing out on two consecutive major tournaments for the first time in recent years.
Inability to Improve Players
Otto Addo took over a stagnant Black Stars team, in contrast to the promising side he left in 2022.
Nine months into his second tenure, the team seems to have declined, with key players who previously carried the team now underperforming.
The team has regressed, and Addo appears unable to bring out the best in the players, a shortcoming that directly impacts results.
Sacking Him Will Unite Ghanaians Behind the Black Stars
Removing Otto Addo would fulfill the wishes of Ghanaians, who have been calling for his dismissal since Ghana’s defeat to Angola in Kumasi, which ended the Black Stars’ 24-year unbeaten run at the venue.
Relieving him of his duties would help restore some of the lost faith in the team.
Captaincy Row
Otto Addo seems to have lost control of the dressing room due to the ongoing captaincy dispute.
The manager has shown indecisiveness and a lack of authority in managing the captaincy hierarchy.
After main skipper Thomas Partey missed the last four qualifying games, Addo by-passed the deputy captain and a senior squad member to hand the armband to talisman Mohammed Kudus for two games.
This decision sparked debates, with some arguing the 24-year-old did not deserve the role despite his status within the squad.
The uproar forced Addo to reverse the decision, handing the captaincy to senior player Jordan Ayew for the final two games of the qualifiers.
The team’s poor performance in the last round of games can partly be attributed to the captaincy controversy, which unsettled the players.
The aforementioned reasons put Otto Addo’s competency as Black Stars head coach in question, therefore, sacking him would be a right call.
EE/EK
