Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has strongly denied allegations that he personally orchestrated the dismissal of former Black Stars head coach Otto Addo.
Otto Addo, who returned to the Black Stars job in March 2024, was relieved of his duties following Ghana’s back-to-back defeats to Austria and Germany during the March international break.
His exit came just months after successfully guiding Ghana to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, sparking intense public debate and speculation over the circumstances behind his departure.
While many reports suggested that the Sports Minister played a decisive role in the decision, Kofi Adams has firmly rejected those claims.
Speaking on Asempa FM, the Minister clarified that the decision followed broader technical and administrative assessments, not a personal directive from his office.
He acknowledged Otto Addo’s contribution to Ghana’s World Cup qualification but stressed that concerns had been raised about the team’s overall performance trajectory heading into the tournament.
“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 explained.
“I did not sack Otto Addo. There was an agreement that a meeting would be held after the Austria and Germany games,” he stated.
“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.
Addo’s exit marked the end of a second stint with the Black Stars, during which he achieved the crucial objective of World Cup qualification but struggled with consistency in friendly matches and overall team performance.
In the wake of his departure, the Ghana Football Association moved quickly to stabilize the technical direction of the national team by appointing experienced Portuguese tactician Carlos Queiroz on a short-term four-month contract to lead Ghana into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Black Stars are set to make their fifth appearance at the World Cup, having been drawn in Group L alongside football heavyweights England and Croatia, as well as Panama.
Ghana will begin their campaign against Panama on June 17, before facing England on June 23, and wrapping up their group stage fixtures against Croatia on June 27.
As preparations intensify for the global tournament, attention now shifts from past coaching controversies to the challenge ahead, with Queiroz tasked to steady the team and deliver a competitive showing on football’s biggest stage.
