Former Board Chairman of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, says Ghana coach Otto Addo has proved him wrong after guiding the Black Stars to the brink of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, but insists he is still not convinced Addo can compete against the world’s elite teams.
Ghana’s emphatic victory over the Central African Republic has left the Black Stars needing just a single point to book their place at the World Cup. If successful, Otto Addo will become the first Ghanaian coach to qualify the national team for two World Cups, having famously eliminated Nigeria in the 2022 playoffs.
Speaking on Nhyira FM’s Power Sports, Baah Agyemang admitted Addo has improved significantly.
“Otto Addo has shamed me. He has changed a lot since the Mali game. In other words, he is learning,” he said.
“We will surely be at the World Cup, but Otto Addo can’t lead us to face teams like Spain, Italy, Portugal, Brazil and Argentina. He is a qualification expert and he has taken us there, now we should look at the bench again.”
While acknowledging Addo’s strong record, six wins in seven qualifiers and unbeaten so far, Baah Agyemang questioned the coach’s composure and presence on the touchline.
“I won’t take anything away from him, his statistics in the qualifiers speak for him, but his composure and how he presents himself at the bench is suspicious,” he added.
Otto Addo continues to face scrutiny despite recovering from the disappointment of failing to qualify for the 2025 AFCON.
Sports Minister Kofi Adams recently described the coach as “lucky” and also raised concerns about his overall performance.
With World Cup qualification now within reach, the debate over whether Otto Addo is the right man to lead Ghana on the global stage is far from over, even as the results continue to fall in his favour.
