Austria head coach Ralf Rangnick has come to the defence of Ghana coach Otto Addo following Ghana’s heavy and embarrassing 5-1 defeat to Austria in their pre-World Cup friendly last Friday, March 27.
The Boys produced a dominant performance at the Ernst Happel Stadium, taking the lead through Marcel Sabitzer’s 12th-minute penalty to go into the break 1-0 up.
The hosts stepped up after the interval, with Michael Gregoritsch doubling the advantage in the 51st minute before Mainz 05 full-back Stefan Posch added a third eight minutes later.
Carney Chukwuemeka and Nicolas Seiwald subsequently found the net to wrap up a comprehensive win in Vienna.
Despite the scoreline, Rangnick believes the result should not be solely attributed to Ghana’s head coach. “Don’t be so emotional on Otto Addo. I don’t think if you had a different coach, the result would have been any different,” he said after the game.
The result serves as a learning curve for both sides as they continue preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Austria will now turn their attention to their next friendly against South Korea on Tuesday, March 31.
