Sports Minister Kofi Adams has said the Ghana Football Association (GFA) will decide the fate of Black Stars coach Otto Addo despite the team being on the cusp of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The minister, speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, said that although the national team’s recent 5–0 win over the Central African Republic in Morocco was a major boost, there are still concerns about the coach’s technical decisions.
“Well, he has been lucky, but there are still concerns,” Mr Adams said.
“Concerns that he himself, most times when we meet, will admit—maybe I should have done a substitution, or I should have urged them on, or I should have fielded this person to play this role. So there are concerns. But I must say he’s been lucky. It doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t improve.”
Pressed on whether Otto Addo’s success was due to luck rather than competence, the minister said he would not describe the coach as incompetent but admitted he was not entirely satisfied.
“I can’t say that he’s totally incompetent. I can’t use that word because I’m not a coach; I’m only a minister who loves the game and analyses it. Other coaches can describe whether he’s competent or not. But I’m not satisfied; that’s all that I’m seeking to say,” he explained.
He added that while qualification was a good sign, it had not been a comfortable experience.
“Yes, he’s qualified, but I know I have sat on some hooks and nails and things that were pointing me to get up in the past. I’ve had to get up to use the washroom a number of times by force,” he stated, before repeating that he could not describe Otto Addo as incompetent.
When asked whether Otto Addo is the right man to lead Ghana to the World Cup, the minister declined to make a definitive statement.
“Well, I can’t answer that question now. If I answer it, then I will be creating a situation. Maybe you have some people who say they want another person, and you have others who say they want him. Then, if I answered this question now, I would have been creating a problem. We still have games ahead of us,” he said.
Mr. Adams made it clear that the decision on whether Otto Addo stays or goes is not one the ministry can make.
“The minister doesn’t take those decisions. The minister will receive briefings, analyse them, but not take the decision alone. There’s a federation that we have handed over our national team to manage—that’s the Ghana Football Association. They have a role to play. So I cannot sit here and be talking about whether we are retaining or dismissing the coach,” he emphasised.
He added that decisions within the national team structure are made regularly and go beyond coaching appointments.
“There are decisions to be made every day, including even who plays and who doesn’t play. There are decisions whether in coaching, nutrition, or the physiotherapy department,” he said.
The Black Stars are now just one point away from securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after their dominant performance against the Central African Republic.
Otto Addo’s men sit at the top of Group I with a three-point lead, but as the Sports Minister’s comments make clear, their head coach’s future will ultimately be decided by the GFA.
Source: Abubakar Ibrahim
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