The Ghana Football Association (GFA) says it would have preferred to see Otto Addo remain in charge of the Black Stars for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, even as the team prepares for the tournament under new head coach Carlos Queiroz.
GFA Communications Director Henry Asante Twum acknowledged that Addo—who was reappointed in March 2024—played a key role in guiding Ghana to World Cup qualification. However, he said the decision to make a change was driven by a dip in results during the build-up to the tournament.
Addo’s second spell in charge ended after Ghana suffered consecutive defeats against Austria and Germany, results that contributed to his dismissal despite securing World Cup qualification. He had earlier failed to lead the team to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
“We would have loved to have the coach who qualified us for the World Cup, but unfortunately the results were not looking good. After the search period, we appointed Carlos Queiroz as the new coach for the Black Stars,” Asante Twum told DW TV.
“He is very experienced, and that is what we needed at this moment,” he added.
Veteran Portuguese tactician Queiroz has since taken over on a short-term deal as Ghana fine-tunes preparations for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Black Stars are currently in the United States ahead of the competition, where they have been drawn in Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama.
Ghana will begin their campaign against Panama on June 17 at BMO Field, before facing England at Gillette Stadium on June 23. Their final group match will be against Croatia on June 27.
The four-time African champions will be hoping to progress beyond the group stage for the first time since 2010, having exited at the same stage in both 2014 and 2022.
