Otto Addo’s return was inevitable after he immediately decided to part ways with Ghana when the Black Stars exited the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on a lower note.
Chris Houghton was appointed as the head coach to replace Otto Addo but his reign was full of disaster culminating in an embarrassing performance in the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast.
The Black stars in a group with minnows Mozambique and Cape Verde alongside the Pharaohs of Egypt couldn’t qualify for the knockout stage.
Chris Houghton’s reign came to an end after the 2023 AFCON. The GFA decided to reunite with Otto Addo and subsequently appointed him. A three-year contract was signed signalling the FA’s enormous belief in the former Black Stars midfielder.
Otto Addo’s return commenced in March with a 2-1 defeat against Nigeria and a dull 2-2 draw against Uganda making some people still doubt Addo.
In a very crucial moment, Otto Addo delivered grandly against Mali and Central African Republic in Matchday 3 and 4 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Let’s explore five things we have learned so far in Otto Addo’s return
1. He is making Ghanaians fall in love once again with Black Stars
The crowd in Kumasi was massive. The crowd at the Baba Yara was so sensational. This is how the Black Stars have been in the 21st century as Ghanaians have shown love and admiration for the team since they started participating in the FIFA World Cup finals in 2006. Results in major tournaments have been so abysmal since the 2015 AFCON with Ghana failing to qualify from the group stage of the last three major tournaments. The final straw was the team’s performance in Ivory Coast in the 2023 AFCON. Ghanaians got pissed and weren’t in love with the team but have suddenly forgotten everything and are supporting the team to qualify for the USA, Canada and Mexico World Cup in 2026. Otto Addo deserves the credit for this huge achievement and if the team continues this way, Ghanaians will support them massively.
2. Ati Zigi is Otto Addo’s number-one goalkeeper
Goalkeeper was a problem during Chris Houghton’s ill-fated reign as he never trusted any keeper except Richard Ofori. At Orlando Pirates, Ofori was the third choice and was confidence-strapped due to lack of game time but the gaffer was so much in love with him. His continuous trust in Ofori finally killed Ghana in the Ivory Coast. Lawrence Ati-Zigi who is rumoured to move to Bochum in Germany from St Gallen in Switzerland in the imminent transfer window will be Otto Addo’s number one goalkeeper as he deserves it. Ati-Zigi is undoubtedly Ghana’s best goalkeeper. Otto Addo used him in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and it was so surprising that Houghton dropped him for Ofori in Ivory Coast.
3. Otto Addo has a long-term plan for the Youth
The moment you see the veterans Andre Ayew and Daniel Amartey not included in Otto Addo’s team, it shows that he is ready to start from scratch with new and young players. His love for the young players makes many believe that he’s in to stay and bring back Ghana to its glory days. Young and talented players like Kudus, Nuamah, Lamptey, Salisu, Fatawu Issahaku, Osman Ibrahim and Semenyo mean that Ghana has a great future. The only aged players in the team now are Djiku (29), Thomas Partey (30) and Jordan Ayew (32): the rest are full of youthfulness.
4. Otto Addo’s approach has been spot on
Mali in the first half suffocated Ghana and the Black Stars were even lucky to be down by just a goal. The Eagles were the better side in the first half in Bamako. In the second half, Ghana’s smash-and-grab approach worked to perfection as the team had less possession (30%) but had 7 attempts of goal with 4 on target compared to 48% possession with 4 attempts on goals with zero on target. Jordan Ayew replaced Semenyo in the 79th minute and he scored the winner after Fatawu Issahaku had won the ball in Mali’s danger zone and assisted Jordan. Against CAR, the minnows targeted long balls which were tormenting Ghana, Otto Addo’s men suffered but were able to calm things down with Ayew scoring a precious hattrick. Otto Addo has promised to tweak his tactics in every game depending on the opponents and the situation the team finds itself. This shows how good and prepared he is for the job.
5. Ghana’s double pivot is not working
Abdul Salis Samed and Thomas Partey’s partnership was Otto Addo’s choice in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The partnership was very okay with both players proving that they understand their respective roles. Fast forward to 2024, Salis Samed and Party’s partnership has not been so great again. Salis assisted Nuamah to score for Ghana in Bamako but his passes on the night were not up to standard. Salis and Partey at times lose focus in the middle of the pitch and Otto Addo must work on the once-great partnership to make things a bit easier for Kudus. Elisha Owusu and Edmund Addo are two defensive midfielders that Otto Addo will fancy giving them the chance shortly to see how things pan out.
Ghana returns to the World Cup qualifiers in March 2025 against Chad at home and Madagascar away. The Black Stars lead Group I at the time of writing.
