The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has officially parted ways with Otto Addo as head coach of the senior men’s national team, the Black Stars, with immediate effect.
The announcement was contained in a brief statement issued by the GFA in the early hours of Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
“The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has parted ways with the Head Coach of the senior men’s national team (Black Stars), Otto Addo, effective immediately,” the statement said.
The Association thanked the 50-year-old German-born Ghanaian coach for his contributions to the team and wished him well in his future endeavours. It added that the new technical direction for the Black Stars would be communicated in due course.
The decision comes just hours after the Black Stars suffered a 2-1 defeat to Germany in an international friendly in Stuttgart on Monday night. It follows a heavy 5-1 loss to Austria last Friday, Ghana’s heaviest defeat in nearly two decades, extending the team’s run of poor results in recent friendlies to four consecutive defeats, during which they conceded 10 goals and scored just two.
Otto Addo’s second stint as Black Stars coach, which began in March 2024, was marked by a mix of highs and significant lows. He successfully guided Ghana to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with an impressive unbeaten record in the qualifiers, finishing top of their group with a strong goal difference. This marked Ghana’s fifth appearance at the global tournament, where they have been drawn in Group L alongside Croatia, England, and Panama.
However, the team’s overall performances under Addo drew widespread criticism, particularly the failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco which was Ghana’s first absence from the continental showpiece since 2004.
In the six-match AFCON 2025 qualifying campaign, the Black Stars failed to secure a single victory, finishing bottom of Group F with just three points from draws and defeats, including losses to Angola and Niger, and a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Sudan.
Other notable results in recent years included early struggles in qualifiers, such as a 1-0 home loss to Angola and a 1-1 draw against Niger, which raised concerns about the team’s attacking potency and defensive solidity despite featuring Premier League stars like Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo.
The recent friendly losses to Austria and Germany have intensified scrutiny over preparations for the 2026 World Cup, now just over two months away.
While Addo’s side showed some resilience against Germany before conceding a late winner from Deniz Undav, the back-to-back heavy defeats have left fans and stakeholders questioning the team’s readiness for the Mundial.