The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has dismissed Black Stars head coach Otto Addo with immediate effect, just 72 days before Ghana’s opening match at the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in North America, following a dismal pair of defeats during the March international break.
The GFA confirmed the decision in a statement released early Tuesday morning. “The Ghana Football Association have parted ways with the Head Coach of the senior men’s national team, Black Stars, Otto Addo, effective immediately,” the statement read. “The Association wishes to thank Otto Addo sincerely for his contribution to the team and wishes him the best of luck in his future endeavours.”
The dismissal followed successive heavy losses in Europe, with Ghana beaten 5-1 by Austria on March 27 before falling 2-1 to Germany in Stuttgart on March 30, extending a run of four consecutive defeats in warm-up matches. An emergency meeting of the GFA Executive Council, involving Sports Minister Kofi Adams and Addo himself, was held at the team hotel in Stuttgart immediately after the Germany game, with officials moving swiftly to end the coach’s tenure.
Addo’s second spell in charge of the Black Stars produced 8 wins, 5 draws and 9 defeats across 22 matches. While he achieved the historic distinction of guiding Ghana to consecutive World Cup finals, becoming the first coach to do so, his tenure was also marked by Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the country’s first absence from the tournament in 21 years.
The GFA said the new technical direction for the national team will be announced in the coming days. Reports indicate the association has opened talks with Walid Regragui, the former Morocco coach who guided the Atlas Lions to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals and stepped down from his national role three weeks ago following a dispute with the Moroccan federation.
Ghana are placed in Group L of the expanded 2026 World Cup alongside Panama, Croatia and England. The Black Stars open their campaign on June 17 against Panama in Toronto, Canada. Ghana’s final preparatory matches, against Mexico and Wales in May, now loom with Ghana lacking a head coach.
