I raised concerns about GFA's decision to keep Otto Addo as Black Stars coach - Sports Minister, Kofi Adams

The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has expressed concerns over the Ghana Football Association’s (GFA) decision to keep Otto Addo as head coach of the Black Stars, despite the team’s failure to qualify for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

The 49-year-old former Borussia Dortmund talent coach faced heavy criticism after failing to secure a single victory in the AFCON qualifiers.

Disappointed fans called for his dismissal, but the GFA opted to retain him and bolster the team’s backroom staff ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Speaking in an interview with 3Sports, Minister Adams revealed that he raised the issue during a meeting with GFA officials and members of the Black Stars’ technical team.

“The FA brought the coach [Otto Addo] and other persons [technical team] to introduce them to me, and at that meeting, I raised all those issues [about their decision to keep the coach despite his failure to qualify for AFCON in Morocco],” he said.

While the GFA defended its decision, Adams admitted he remains unconvinced by their explanation.

“They [GFA] gave me an answer. Am I satisfied? I will say time will tell, but I had my concerns, and those concerns, I registered them [at the meeting with GFA],” he added.

The Member of Parliament for the Buem constituency acknowledged that while he was not pleased with the situation, the proximity of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers made immediate coaching changes impractical.

“But I think at this moment, and at the time that I had become the Minister, the issue is we were too close to these [World Cup 2026] qualifiers [against Chad and Madagascar], and so the issue of changes should not be what should be on the table. That should be the last thing on the table,” he said.

“And so the issue on the table now is how to prepare the team for the task ahead of us.”

Adams further emphasized that sacking Otto Addo at such a crucial moment could have disrupted the team’s preparations.

“Because if the agenda is to go and sack the head coach — if we sacked the head coach, who was going to take over immediately? You're now going to be hunting for a new coach, and that may take you the entire period,” he stressed.

For now, he believes the best approach is to support the current technical team, while leaving room for a future reassessment.

“So it's better to rally what you have, work with it, and make sure that you achieve success. If we have to revisit that story, we will visit it,” he said.

The Minister also highlighted recent technical team reinforcements, including the appointment of former Cameroon coach Winfried Schäfer as Technical Director.

“There has been some beefing up. Winfried Schäfer has been added as Technical Director, and a few more other areas have been improved. Let's see what it also injects into the discipline of play.”

Ghana is set to face Chad on March 21 and Madagascar on March 24 in crucial World Cup qualifying matches.