'Experienced' Kwesi Appiah should have been rehired as Black Stars instead of Otto Addo - GOC president Ben Nunoo Mensah

Ben Nunoo Mensah, the President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), has expressed his belief that Kwesi Appiah should have been reappointed as the Black Stars coach instead of Otto Addo.

After stepping down following Ghana's early exit from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Otto Addo was brought back as head coach on a three-year contract with an option for an additional two years by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) in March.

Addo’s return began positively with back-to-back wins against Mali and the Central African Republic during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. However, his tenure faced harsh criticism after Ghana failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), finishing last in Group F with only three points from six matches. This poor performance has sparked calls for his dismissal.

Reacting to these developments, Nunoo Mensah emphasized that Kwesi Appiah, who led the Black Stars in two separate tenures (2012-2014 and 2017-2020), remains the best local coaching option. Appiah notably became the first Ghanaian coach to take the national team to the World Cup in 2014.

“I think that in so many years, Kwasi Appiah has been one of Ghana’s best coaches, and it was sad we got him out in that manner," he told Asempa FM.

"Also, when there was an opportunity to appoint him again, we overlooked him. For me, because we are constrained by financial difficulties, we should look within ourselves."

He stressed the value of investing in local talent, citing that most of Ghana’s AFCON titles were won under Ghanaian coaches.

"Most of the AFCON titles we won were with Ghanaian coaches, so why don’t we look within ourselves and build people to the level of Pep Guardiola and co.? Those local coaches will be more committed to the nation," he added.

Addo’s future remains uncertain as the GFA’s Executive Council has yet to make a decision following Ghana’s failure to qualify for the upcoming AFCON tournament.