2026 WC Qualifiers: Otto Addo’s era-defining second year begins versus Chad
As Otto Addo stepped onto the pitch at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday afternoon, there was an unmistakable sense of newness.
For once, the pitch was mostly Bermuda grass, looked lush green, and was neatly cut with no evidence of weeds. (Do not tell anyone, but Charles Boahene’s Green Grass Technology has been working on the playing surface for months since the Stadium closed in November.)
‘‘I’m very, very happy that the pitch looks much, much better. This is, for me, the most important thing. I know maybe people who haven’t played maybe don’t think it’s that important, but it’s very important that we have a good pitch and the pitch is wet. And I think now we are really, really on a good path. And I know that we create a lot of chances and the goals will come,’’ Otto Addo said of the pitch.
The grass at the Accra Sports Stadium looked significantly improved when the pitch was used for the first time in four months
That was not all.
Unlike when he was last here, Otto Addo has not had to answer endless questions about the poor handling of the captaincy. Or the absence of his (then) captain Thomas Partey.
Unlike when he was last here, Otto Addo has not had to be forced to apologize for his team’s poor form (one that culminated in failure to qualify for AFCON 2025).
There has been an apology, to be fair. But even that was a refreshing break from the norm.
‘‘And I’m very, very happy, like I said, that we have a positive, even though we played very, very bad. And I really want to apologize for that, because this is not where we are supposed to be.’’
Even Kurt Okraku, who has been known to say a word or two more than necessary and has the unique ability to unite Black Stars and opposing fans in their condemnation of his speeches, has not invited such denunciation this time.
Instead, there appears to be a certain willingness to give the Black Stars another chance.
That is not to say that there has been a pre-AFCON 2008 level of affinity. Far from that.
However the attitude towards the team has been a significant change from what it was in November 2024 when the team completed a qualifying campaign without a win for the first time in history. The current climate is one every coach would want to. It is an enabling one.
However, while the pitch (stadium) is out of Addo’s jurisdiction, every other thing is. In 2001, the late Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, then Black Stars coach, sacked the late Enoch Teye Mensah, then Sports Minister from the team’s dressing room.
That is the kind of cojones Addo needs to institute the cultural reset necessary to improve the current climate.
This week, Otto Addo was forced to accommodate pointless speeches from politicians in his training program for each day. That kind of cannibalism from politicians seeking political capital by associating with the Black Stars is a nuisance that needs to end.
President Mahama visited the Stars in training on Wednesday
It is not every day that the president of the land shows up at the Black Stars training ground. So President Mahama’s visit should be the exception. But even with that, if the players get used to it, it begins to lose its essence. The only person who can stop this is Otto Addo. He needs to start by telling the GFA President Kurt Okraku that while he is welcome to observe a training session occasionally, the culture of bringing guests every day of the team’s training is counter-productive.
To do that, Otto needs to be firm and tactful; communicate his reasons with clarity and respect, but also with firmness that conveys his uncompromising stance on the subject. Performance on the pitch, above all else, will enhance Addo’s authority in these matters.
Sadly, that has not been the case in his first year in charge since returning ad Black Stars coach.
Inconsistent performances repeated bad tactical habits, and a lack of fear factor have characterized the Black Stars in that time.
Yet, Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, Inaki Williams, Salisu Mohammed, and the rest of the team, continue to command regular starting positions in the World’s most competitive leagues.
While there is something to be said about the application, the bigger issue lies with Otto Addo’s tactical deployments of these players.
Jordan Ayew’s goal against Angola was a rare moment of excitement in Ghana’s ill-fated AFCON 2025 Qualifying campaign
Inaki Williams, for example often has too many bodies in front of him than his skillset can handle. At Athletic Bilbao, his pace is used and movement in the box is used to devastating effect. In Ghana colors, Otto Addo’s structure either leaves him isolated in situations where his inability to dribble out of one versus situation handicaps him, or his teammates cannot find him when he finds space in threatening areas.
Osman Bukari, and Antoine Semenyo, both ruthless at their clubs, have similarly looked lost in Ghana colors. At the other end of the pitch, Otto Addo used four different backline combinations in six matches. The result? Ghana conceded 15 goals in 10 matches played last year.
That needs to change immediately.
If Ghanaians are to have faith in Otto Addo’s credentials, they need to see a different side of the team; a more consistent, likable team that wins.