Former Majority Leader and Suame Member of Parliament (MP), Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has questioned Black Stars head coach, Otto Addo’s, competence to guide the senior national team through the international tournament, the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
While he acknowledged his ability to help Ghana qualify for the tournament, he contended that
“I’m sure Ghana is going to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, but Otto Addo is not a coach who can lead us to the tournament,” he mentioned during an appearance on Wontumi FM.
He named Mali as one of the teams he anticipated as tough contenders for Ghana, but following their 1-0 win, he is sceptical about their qualification.
“I see Mali as the strongest opponent in our group; unfortunately, they did not start the qualification series well. It is too late for them to secure a qualification. For Madagascar, who are trailing us with 16 points, they can’t win the two remaining games,” he added.
His comments come after Black Stars’ performance has been far from universally impressive since Otto Addo’s second stint as coach of the Ghana Black Stars. Although Ghana currently sits atop Group I, with 19 points, their past two games haven’t been very satisfying in terms of possession and dominance, among others.
Consequently, however, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu remains unconvinced about Addo’s suitability for the World Cup.
Addo, 48, was reappointed in March 2024 on a three-year contract with an option to extend for two more years. His tenure came under scrutiny after Ghana failed to advance from the group stage at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), finishing last with just three points from six matches.
Ghana will conclude their qualification campaign in October with fixtures against the Central African Republic and Comoros.
Otto Addo’s first exit
Otto Addo parted ways with Ghana following the Black Stars’ elimination in the group stage in December 2022, during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Even before the team faced the elimination, the former Dortmund coach had already announced his intention to return to his role as talent coach at the Dutch club, Borussia Dortmund, right after the end of the tournament, citing personal and professional priorities, to focus on club football and development work in Germany.
His second coming
Otto Addo made a return in March 2024 on a 34-month contract (two years and ten months contract) with an option to extend by two more years. He returned to replace Chris Houghton, who was sacked shortly after Ghana’s disappointing run at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where the team was eliminated in the group stage. Chris was sacked in January 2024, along with his entire technical team, as part of the restructuring.
His return stirred mixed reactions, with many questioning his competence, while others also fumed, quizzing why he had to be chosen when other equally competent contenders were available to fit his role.
His second coming was marred with a major failure, for the first time in twenty years, after Ghana failed to qualify for AFCON 2025, which triggered a major shake-up in the coaching setup. Despite public criticism and calls for resignation, Addo remained defiant and committed to rebuilding the team.
Ghana’s Sports Minister, Kofi Adams, has been particularly vocal about the coach’s current performance. During an interview on Citi FM on Wednesday, September 10.
“If I tell you I am impressed, then it means I do not know my job. I am not. There is still much room for improvement. Even the coach admits he has made mistakes and takes responsibility. But for how long will he continue to take the blame for poor decisions?”
Meanwhile, Ghana Black Stars’ 1-0 win against Mali, pushes them closer to a seat at the international football tournament, 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Ghana’s win was a comeback from their disappointing draw with Chad on September 4, in an away match hosted at N’Djamena. Jordan excited fans when he notched the opener in the 17th minute following an assist from Mohammed Kudus. Chad, however, managed to equalise when Celestine Ecua cancelled out Jordan Ayew’s opener.
In Monday’s match, Alexander Djiku’s second-half strike cemented Ghana’s position at the top of Group I with 19 points.
Ahead of the clash with Mali, Otto Addo expressed optimism about the team’s victory however, admitting that it will not be easy.
His hopes were however not crushed; Black Stars made him proud with their narrow win. Their victory has widely been commended as fans are already excited about the team’s looming qualification for the World Cup .
However, Otto Addo has issued a warning to both fans and players not to be complacent citing the need to respect each opponent.
“Everybody was talking before the Chad game that we had already won. It’s dangerous. We are not at the World Cup yet,” Addo said after the game.“We have a lot of work to do, and every opponent must be respected,” he added.
Speaking during a post match conference at the Accra Sports Stadium in Tuesday Septemebr 8, he highlighted that, some players were visibly nervous due to being newbies or debutants in the senior team however, lauded their ability to swiftly blending in after he first half. The former Dortmund coach described the first half of the match as a “deserved draw”.
“Yeah, some problems, I think, yeah, you could see that we have a young squad and players who haven’t been playing often for the national team so far and we were a little bit nervous here and there, but after 50 minutes I think we got good into the game. It was, the game was even, but with a little bit of upper chances for us, so, but it was a, I think, yeah, it was a deserved draw to halftime and then we, we increased the pressure early in the second half, we managed to score out of a set piece.”
He went on to applaud Antoine Semenyo for his relentless speed, which held the squad together against their opponents despite the pressure from Mali in the last minutes of the game.
He said, “He fought until he couldn’t run anymore… I was very satisfied with his performance and with his runs, especially.”
