Ghana’s qualification for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 was fortunate, according to Black Stars coach Otto Addo.
Otto Addo voiced his worries in an open discussion with the Ghana FA media team following Ghana’s appalling AFCON 2025 qualification campaign, in which the team managed just two points out of a possible 12 and faces the prospect of missing out on the continental championship for the first time in 20 years.
He claimed that since they were unable to advance to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the team has been losing ground.
“If we look at the past few years, since we failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018, we’ve been struggling as a football nation,” the former Dortmund team member said.
Through the away goal rule, Ghana narrowly defeated Nigeria to secure a spot in the Qatar World Cup following the playoffs, which concluded with an all-out result overall.
The match in Abuja concluded in a draw, while the first leg in Kumasi ended 0-0. Addo said luck had a big part in the team’s triumph.
“With me serving as head coach, we were fortunate to qualify in 2022. We were lucky to make it because C.K. Akonnor and Milovan Rajevac both completed their tasks before me,” he continued.
Following a catastrophic AFCON 2023 campaign in Cote D’Ivoire earlier this year, Otto Addo made a successful comeback for a second spell.
He won two straight games to begin his second stint of play: Central African Republic in Kumasi and opponent Mali in Bamako.
However, the Black Stars have drawn two and lost two in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers, including a 24 year-old loss to Angola at Baba Yara Stadium.
Ghana is now five points behind Sudan in their qualifying group and ten points behind Angola, who has already qualified for the tournament in Morocco, as a result of the results.
Addo, though, is adamant.
“The players are talented, as anyone who has watched our home games against Sudan, Angola, or Nigeria can attest. We can advance if we can remain true to our abilities, play excellent football, and inject that with emotion.”
Now, Ghana must win both of their remaining two AFCON qualifying matches in November in order to advance, while Sudan must lose their next two matches in order to
