Otto Addo, head coach of Ghana's national team, has been fired only 72 days before FIFA World Cup, starting on June 11. The Ghana Football Association announced on Tuesday that they have parted ways with the head coach effective immediately. "The Association wishes to thank Otto Addo sincerely for his contribution to the team and wishes him the best of luck in his future endeavours."
50-year-old Addo, born in West Germany, played all of his career in German football, including Borussia Dortmund between 1999 and 2005 as an attacking midfielder, winning one Bundesliga and being runner up of the UEFA Cup, now Europa League. He retired from football in 2008 and later worked as "talent coach" for Dortmund, before joining the "Black Stars", nickname for Ghana's national team, and secured qualification for World Cup 2022 (eliminated in group stage) and for the upcoming World Cup, scheduled to play against Panama, England, and Croatia.
Addo was the first coach to secure two consecutive World Cup qualifications for Ghana, something that was described by the GFA as "a historic achievement that reflects consistency and evolution in Ghana's technical approach" in a totally not AI-generated statement. The team includes Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo and Tottenham forward Mohammed Kudus.
But a series of heavy defeats in the friendlies this past week (losing 2-1 to Germany and 5-1 to Austria), and the recent failure to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, motivated the sacking of Addo, ending his tenure with eight victories and nine defeats in his 22 games in charge of the West African country.