Ghana coach Otto Addo has shared that his decision to return to the Black Stars on a full-time basis was driven by his readiness to advance in his coaching career.
After a successful short-term assignment, where he led Ghana to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Addo has now taken on the role permanently. Despite Ghana’s exit at the group stage against Portugal, Uruguay, and South Korea, Addo has been entrusted with building a new team for long-term success.
Previously, Chris Hughton managed the team, but following an unsuccessful campaign in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Addo was brought back to take charge.
In an interview with FIFA, Addo reflected on his journey: “The first time I came, I got a release from Borussia Dortmund [where I worked as a talent coach] to join for six months, but under the commitment that I had to come back.” He explained the importance of maintaining his relationship with Dortmund, where he had both played and coached. “I played for Dortmund for six years and coached for five years, so it was very important to keep that relationship and my promise. Ghana then came again to ask me if I could join them on a regular basis, so it was a different discussion, and my contract was ending in 2025.”
Addo felt prepared to take on greater responsibility when Ghana expressed renewed interest in him. “I thought I was ready to take the next step, so when I heard Ghana were interested again, I had to talk to Dortmund. I was very, very happy that [the Sporting Director] Sebastian Kehl allowed me to leave the club and that they could understand my readiness to develop myself and to go to the next step as a head coach,” he said.
Since taking on the role full-time, Addo has led Ghana to back-to-back victories over Mali and the Central African Republic in June, enhancing their prospects of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
The Black Stars are set to return to the field in September for the start of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, where they will face Angola and Niger.
