Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku has publicly defended the decision to retain Otto Addo as head coach of the Black Stars, following the team’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco marking the first time in over two decades that Ghana has missed the continental tournament. The Black Stars finished bottom of their group after six matches, a result that drew criticism from the public, with many calling for Addo’s immediate dismissal.
GFA President , Mr. Okraku explained that neither he nor the GFA Executive Council believed it was necessary to part ways with the coach at that juncture.
“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. We remain committed to that position,” he stated.
Acknowledging the public outcry following Ghana’s absence from the tournament, Okraku noted that football administration often involves considerations not immediately apparent to the wider 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 said.
While conceding that public opinion is inevitable, Okraku asserted that the GFA’s decision to back Addo was ultimately vindicated by the team’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.
Despite leading Ghana to the World Cup, Addo was later dismissed following consecutive friendly defeats to Austria and Germany.
According to Kurt okraku, over 600 coaches have applied for the Black Stars coaching Job