Former Black Stars psychologist Dr. Patrick Ofori has come to the defence of head coach Otto Addo, calling recent criticisms of the trainer “unfair.”
Addo faced scrutiny after Ghana missed out on qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). However, he guided the team to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup, set to be co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico this summer.
Speaking to Citi Sports, Dr. Ofori emphasized that the national team’s challenges cannot rest solely on Addo’s shoulders.
He argued for a stronger technical framework around the coach, noting that modern football requires collective responsibility and specialised support.
“I think it is highly unfair for anybody to single out the coach and then blame him,” Dr Ofori said.
“If you look at it, unfortunately, in our part of the world, even when you have a management committee, people bypass the management and go straight to blame the coach,” he added.
He also commended the Ghana Football Association (GFA) leadership, under president Kurt Okraku, for taking corrective measures after identifying gaps in the technical setup that contributed to the AFCON disappointment.
“I give credit to Kurt and his team. When they realised that they failed in their appointment of other technical staff, which led to our inability to qualify for AFCON, they quickly reassembled the team around them. So clearly, you couldn’t have blamed only the coach.”
Meanwhile, GFA Communications Director Henry Asante Twum confirmed that the Black Stars’ technical team will be strengthened ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
