The future of Otto Addo as head coach of the Black Stars remains uncertain, as the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council deferred a final decision during their meeting on Wednesday.
The council has scheduled another session for November 27, where Addo is expected to present his technical report to defend his tenure.
This development follows Ghana’s failure to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the first time in 21 years, a disappointing outcome that has sparked widespread discontent. Under Addo’s leadership, the Black Stars failed to win any of their six qualifying matches, losing three and drawing three, ultimately finishing at the bottom of Group F, which included Niger, Sudan, and Angola.
Discussions among the GFA Executive Council were split, with one group pushing for the immediate dissolution of the technical team due to poor performance. The other faction advocated for Addo’s retention, citing financial challenges, including pending severance payments to former coaches CK Akonnor and Chris Hughton, as well as recent settlements made to Milovan Rajevac.
The council, however, decided to postpone a conclusive decision and instructed Addo to present a comprehensive technical report at next week’s meeting. This report is expected to detail his strategies and justify his continued leadership, especially considering the autonomy he was granted to select key backroom staff.
While Addo appointed most of his team, including masseurs and video analysts, the GFA named former Ghana right-back John Paintsil as his assistant coach and Fatawu Dauda as goalkeepers’ trainer.
Proponents of Addo’s continuation argue that frequent managerial changes have negatively impacted the stability of Ghana’s football development. However, next week’s meeting could result in a reconstitution of the technical team, depending on the council’s final decision.
The GFA initially planned to meet with Otto Addo on Wednesday evening after their discussions, but a late conclusion to the council meeting made this impractical.