The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku, has defended the decision to retain Otto Addo as head coach of the Black Stars, despite the team failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Ghana’s absence from the continental tournament in Morocco marked the first time in over two decades that the Black Stars missed out, following a disappointing qualifying campaign in which they finished bottom of their group after six matches.
The setback sparked widespread criticism from fans and pundits, many calling for Addo’s dismissal. However, speaking in an interview with 3Sports, Okraku said the GFA Executive Council shared his view that changing the technical leadership at the time was unnecessary.
“I never believed that I had to let the coach go at that time. And we never believed, as an ExCo, that we had to let the coach go at that time. And we stay with that position,” he stated.
Okraku acknowledged the public backlash but suggested that decisions at the highest level of football are often influenced by factors not visible to the public.
“We’ve all done football at various levels, and sometimes there are auxiliary reasons why certain decisions have to be taken or not to be taken. Some of these reasons are not available to a lot of people,” he explained.
Despite the criticism, the GFA boss said the decision ultimately proved beneficial, pointing to Ghana’s subsequent qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“But I look back, and I’m happy that we took that decision. At the end, we qualified for the Mundial with the same gaffer, and I don’t regret it at all,” he added.
Although Addo led Ghana to World Cup qualification, he has since been relieved of his duties following back-to-back defeats in international friendlies against Austria and Germany. The GFA is expected to announce a new head coach in the coming weeks.
