Story: Sports Desk 

The Executive Council (ExCo) of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has  failed to reach a conclusive decision regarding the future of the Black Stars’ technical team, led by Otto Addo. 

This follows Ghana’s failure to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the first time in 21 years, a development that has stirred nationwide disappointment.

Under Otto Addo’s stewardship, Ghana did not win a single match in their six AFCON qualifying games, losing three and drawing three, ultimately finishing bottom of Group F, which included Niger, war-torn Sudan, and Angola. Despite these results, the debate over Otto Addo’s future as head coach remains contentious.

During the meeting, the GFA Executive Council was split. One faction advocated for the immediate dissolution of the technical team, citing their failure to meet performance indicators. The opposing faction argued for Otto Addo’s retention, highlighting financial constraints.

The FA still owes severance packages to former coaches CK Akonnor and Chris Hughton, and having recently paid Milovan Rajevac’s outstanding dues, they contended  that parting ways with Addo would only exacerbate their financial strain.

The council ultimately deferred its decision, asking Otto Addo to present his technical report at their next meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, 27 November at 11 am.

This report is expected to provide a detailed defence of his tenure and justify why he should remain in charge, particularly given he was granted full autonomy to select his backroom staff.

They FA, however, appointed former Ghana right-back, John Painstsil as his assistant and Fatawu Dauda as his goalkeepers trainer. The rest of the backroom staff including masseurs and two videos analysts were appointed by Otto.

Those supporting Otto Addo’s continuation emphasised the importance of stability within the technical team.

They argued that constant managerial changes have been detrimental to Ghana’s footballing fortunes.

Initially, the FA planned to meet with Otto Addo on Wednesday evening following their deliberations, but the late conclusion of their meeting made this impractical.