Kurt Okraku, the president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has responded to former Black Stars defender Joe Addo’s demand that interim manager Otto Addo be fired.
Joe Addo claimed that because the FIFA World Cup is significant to Ghana’s history, the GFA ought to treat it as such by selecting a capable coach to lead the squad.
Kurt Okraku responded to the former Hearts of Oak player’s remark by characterizing Joe Addo’s remark as unfavorable and stating that the Black Stars will excel in Qatar.
“Few days ago, I listened to Joe Addo. And please pass on the message to him. He is a member of the FA. He serves on one of our committees. His negative comment is not for the good of the sports. I’m saying that his negative comment is not good for the sport. Our Black Stars will shine at the World Cup,” he said while addressing ex-Black Stars players at the GFA’s dinner with the Legends held on October 29, 2022.
Kurt then tagged Ghanaians who argue that an interim manager should not lead the Black Stars to the World Cup as ‘too known’.
“Who was the coach that qualified Ghana for the World Cup recently? Who was the coach? Tell me. Is it not Otto? Was he a part-time coach or a full-time coach? Sorry, let’s be positive. What is full-time and part-time and whatnot? Too known.”
Joe Addo, in his interview with GH One, said leaving Black Stars’ at the helm of an interim manager for the world’s biggest international showpiece is totally wrong.
“The Ghana national team is going to play the most important tournament in our history, that is the World Cup. We’ve done it three times, so it’s not automatic that you will get there. We missed the last time in Russia and we are going there with a part-time coach? Are you kidding me? In this day and age? Hell no! We have to have a substantive coach to go to the world cup. That’s my opinion, I could be wrong. But I can’t go to a very very important tournament with an interim coach or a part-time (coach).”
“Why? We don’t have the resources to hire a permanent coach Or does the coach not want to be permanent? What is the scenario? I don’t know that. (But) no, you have to go all in. So either we have a permanent coach who is taking us to the World Cup or we don’t have a coach.”
Ghana head into the World Cup with an interim technical bench of Otto Addo, George Boateng, Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, and a technical advisor.