Former Ghana international Frimpong Manso has stressed the need to fully support Black Stars head coach Otto Addo as he gears up for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers next year.
Manso’s call for support follows Ghana’s struggles in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, where the Black Stars are on the brink of missing the tournament for the first time in 20 years. With only two points from four games, Ghana’s qualification hopes for AFCON in Morocco are slim, relying on both victories and other results in their favor.
With the final AFCON qualifiers set for this month, Manso voiced doubts about Ghana’s chances of qualifying but urged fans and officials to focus on rallying behind Addo as he prepares for the World Cup qualifiers resuming in March 2025.
“I know Otto Addo wants to accomplish something meaningful for the country, but at this point, our support should be geared towards the World Cup qualifiers because qualifying for AFCON seems unlikely,” Manso, currently the head coach of Bibiani GoldStars, said in an interview with Asempa FM.
Manso added, “People may be disappointed if we miss out on AFCON, but what Otto will need is the backing to make the right decisions and recruit the best players for the World Cup qualifiers.”
The Black Stars will first face Angola, already qualified for AFCON, in Luanda on November 15, followed by their final Group F match against Niger at the Accra Sports Stadium on November 18.
In the World Cup qualifiers, Ghana currently holds second place in Group I with nine points and will face Chad and Madagascar in the next set of matches.
