Sports Minister not impressed with Otto Addo as Ghana coach
By Lukman MUMIN
The Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of Black Stars coach Otto Addo, warning that Ghana’s national team still has significant work to do to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
His comments stem from the Black Stars’ recent outings in World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Mali and the national team’s failure to qualify for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The West African heavyweights played out a 1‑1 draw with Chad in N’Djamena last Thursday before narrowly defeating Mali on Monday night at the Accra Sports Stadium. Despite securing victory against Mali, Kofi Adams insisted the team’s performance remained unconvincing.
“Very soon, AFCON is going to start in Morocco. Are we going to be part of it? No, we will watch on TV. We have not even qualified for the World Cup yet. We still need a win and at least a draw to comfortably say that, as far as our group is concerned, nobody can overtake us,” he said
Kofi Adams further emphasised that he was not impressed with Otto Addo’s performance and urged improvements in forthcoming matches.
“If I tell you I am impressed, then it means I do not know my job. I am not. There is a lot of room for improvement. Even when you meet the coach himself, he admits that he got things wrong and takes responsibility. But the question is: for how long will you continue to take blame for wrong decisions?” he questioned, while speaking on Accra-based Citi FM.
Currently, the Black Stars sit top of Group I, accumulating 19 points after eight matches, followed by Madagascar on 16 points, Comoros on 15, Mali on 12 and the Central African Republic on 5, with Chad holding just 1 point.
Ghana will regroup in October for the final round of the 2026 World Cup qualification. The Black Stars will face the Central African Republic away before hosting Comoros at the Accra Sports Stadium.
