- Ghana head coach Otto Addo has made an early, uncertain assessment of his team after qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- The Black Stars defeated Comoros 1-0 in Accra to top the CAF qualification Group I with 23 points in ten matches
- Addo has compared his current Black Stars setup to that of Milovan Rajevac at the South Africa 2010 World Cup
Head coach of the Ghana national football team, Otto Addo, has made an honest, early assessment of his team after the Black Stars qualified for the global tournament on Sunday, October 12.
The West African football powerhouse recorded a narrow 1-0 victory against Comoros at the Accra Sports Stadium to conclude their World Cup qualifying campaign on top of Group I with 23 points in ten games.
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According to FIFA, the Black Stars posted eight wins, drew one, and lost one, scored 22 goals and conceded just six, as they staged a great comeback to make up for their failure to reach the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
So far, five African teams have secured their World Cup spot. North African quartet Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Algeria join Ghana, with four more automatic berths up for grabs during the CAF qualifiers to take place on Monday and Tuesday.
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Ghana made history, becoming the third African side, after Cameroon (1990) and Senegal (2002), to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup during South Africa 2010. However, the Black Stars failed to repeat that form at Brazil 2014 and Qatar 2022 (group stage exits), with many fans expecting them to deliver at the 2026 edition.
In reacting to this discussion, Otto Addo was quick to urge fans to manage their expectations ahead of the tournament, stressing that the team still has work to do to reach or better the 2010 achievement, as covered by the Ghana FA.
He highlighted that while they aim to do well in the United States, Canada, and Mexico next year, the Milovan Rajevac-era squad operated on a different level, boasting a higher caliber of players who consistently featured in elite competitions like the UEFA Champions League. Addo added that their experience and regular exposure to high-intensity football set them apart in quality and consistency.
”We have to take it game by game, you know? People who are now talking about the World Cup, sorry, but we are nowhere close. The squad, I think, 2010 made the quarterfinals. And they had seven, eight players who were playing regularly in the Champions League or top level. We are not there yet.”
The ex-Ghana international midfielder, who has now become the first coach to qualify the country for two World Cups, also emphasised the need to build a squad of quality players and work diligently to help them reach the top level.
He noted that in the past, the team had players regularly featuring for elite clubs such as Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, and Fenerbahce, with regular appearances for a club like Olympique de Marseille being a major achievement comparable to PSG today.
Moreover, Addo acknowledged that the current squad is not yet at that standard and stressed the importance of taking each game step by step while focusing on growth and development.
Finally, the Black Stars boss noted the importance of continuing to build team chemistry in the friendly matches and training games the Ghanaian team will play during their preparations for the World Cup finals.
Fans hail Otto Addo
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported on the glowing praise for Otto Addo from a section of Ghanaian fans after he guided the Black Stars to their fifth World Cup qualification last Sunday.
Despite the criticisms from all angles, including Ghana’s Sports and Recreation Minister, Kofi Adams, the ex-Dortmund coach stayed grounded to lead the team to victory.
Source: YEN.com.gh
Source: Yen.com.gh
