Sports Minister Kofi Adams has described Black Stars coach Otto Addo as “lucky” but says there are still major concerns about his performance despite Ghana’s strong position in the World Cup qualifiers.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Wednesday, the Buem MP said while he acknowledges his role in leading the team to within one point of qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he is not entirely satisfied with some of the coach’s decisions.
“Well, he has been lucky, but there are still concerns,” the Minister said.
When pressed by host Evans Mensah to elaborate on the concerns, Mr Adams explained that Otto Addo himself has admitted to making questionable calls during matches.
“Well, concerns that he himself most times when we meet, he will admit maybe I should have done a substitution, or I should have urged them on, or I should have fielded this person to play this role.
“And so there are concerns. But I must say he’s been lucky. It doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t improve.”
Mr Adams, however, stopped short of questioning the coach’s competence.
“I can’t say that he’s totally incompetent. I can’t use the word incompetence on him because, first and foremost, I’m not a coach. I’m only a minister who loves the game and who analyses it.
“If I had been a coach before, other coaches could describe whether he’s competent or not, but I’m not a coach, so I will not say so. But I am not satisfied. That’s all that I’m seeking to say.”
The Minister admitted that watching the Black Stars has been nerve-racking for him, even during victories.
“Yes, he’s qualified, but I know I have sat on some hooks and nails and things that were pointing me to get up in the past. I’ve had to get up to use the washroom a number of times by force,” he said, adding that he still cannot call Otto Addo incompetent.
Asked directly if Otto Addo is the right man to lead Ghana to the World Cup, Mr Adams said it was too early to answer.
“Well, I can’t answer that question now. If I answer the question now, then I will be kind of creating a situation. Maybe you have some people who say they want another person, and you have others who say they want him.
“Then, if I answered this question now, I would have been creating a problem. We still have games ahead of us. There’s a game we haven’t finished.”
He clarified that the decision on whether Otto Addo stays or goes does not lie with him as Minister.
“The minister doesn’t take those decisions. The minister will receive briefings. The minister will analyse the briefings. The minister will not take that decision alone. There’s a federation that we have handed over our national team to manage, which is the Ghana Football Association.
“They have a role to play, and so I cannot sit here when we haven’t had that conversation to be talking about whether we are retaining or dismissing the coach. I can’t go into that realm.”
Pressed further on whether a decision still needs to be made regarding who leads the team to the World Cup, Mr Adams replied, “Well, there are decisions to be made every day, including even who plays and who doesn’t play. There are decisions to be made in the coaching, nutrition, and physiotherapy departments.”
His remarks come as the Black Stars stand just one point away from qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after their emphatic 5–0 victory over the Central African Republic in Morocco.
The win saw Ghana maintain a three-point lead at the top of Group I, driven by four second-half goals that reaffirmed their dominance — though, as the Minister stressed, not without lingering questions.
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