Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has rejected claims that he was responsible for the dismissal of former Black Stars head coach Otto Addo.
Addo, who returned to the role in March 2024, was relieved of his duties following Ghana’s consecutive defeats to Austria and Germany during the March international break, despite successfully leading the Black Stars to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
His exit sparked widespread speculation, with sections of the public and media suggesting the Sports Minister played a central role in the decision.
However, speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Adams insisted the decision was not unilateral and followed broader consultations involving key stakeholders.
“Otto Addo did his best to qualify the team for the World Cup, but we had expressed concerns over the performance of the team, and if the Ghana Football Association (GFA) also did their analysis, they also realised that things are not encouraging, especially going into the World Cup,” he said.
He added that discussions about a possible change had already taken place before the official announcement.
“I did not sack Otto Addo. There was an agreement that a meeting would be held after the Austria and Germany games. I joined the team after the Austria game and before I even arrived in Germany, a discussion had been held, and there was a level of agreement to let him go, so I did not single-handedly do that. We respect Otto Addo for what he did for us,” Mr Adams added.
Following Addo’s departure, the Ghana Football Association has appointed Carlos Queiroz on a short-term four-month contract to lead the Black Stars into the 2026 World Cup.
Ghana will compete at the tournament for the fifth time and have been drawn in Group L alongside England, Croatia, and Panama.
The Black Stars will begin their campaign against Panama on June 17, before taking on England on June 23 and Croatia on June 27.
