Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council member, Fredrick Acheampong, has blamed Otto Addo for Ghana’s group stage exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Black Stars, who needed at least a draw, fluffed their chances of progressing to the knockout stage after a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in their final group-stage game.
While discussing what led to Ghana’s early exit on Kessben FM, Acheampong stated that Otto Addo was the opposite of what he was made to believe, implying that the German-trained gaffer is incompetent.
“Of course, we wouldn’t say Ghana was going to win the World Cup. The expectation was that we would do better than what we did the last time, (but) the coach disappointed (us). Some of us the belief we had in the coach and what we were made to believe that he was, but I didn’t see that manifest…The best is to have a competent coach, as portrayed.”
He continued by pointing out what he was made to believe Otto Addo was but was not.
“Because we were made to believe that Otto Addo is tough, he is this and that, and I like such coaches because of what I’ve known with the Black Stars. A coach who is firm with decisions. Because it was all about simple, simple things (that cost us), especially in our last game.”
Fred Acheampong further stated that Otto Addo killed the Ghanaians’ momentum and belief in the team with the lineup for the Uruguay game.
“The momentum that Ghanaians got from the Korea game and the belief that Ghanaians had that we were going to beat Uruguay, after the mere mention of the lineup, people started complaining, and it dumped people’s trust and belief, and that was even before the game started. So it tells you that small decisions can have an effect,” he added.
Otto Addo stepped down from his role right after the defeat to Uruguay.
The GFA is set to find a replacement before the next Black Stars assignment.
At the moment, Chris Hughton and George Boateng, who worked with Otto as technical advisor and assistant, respectively, are favourites for the vacant position after Otto Addo stepped down a few weeks ago. —Ghanaweb
